


Break My Heart

by Hemosnixuality



Series: Only Human [2]
Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types, Assassin's Creed Odyssey
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Drama, Drama & Romance, F/F, Romance, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-02
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:07:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 126,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23452189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hemosnixuality/pseuds/Hemosnixuality
Summary: Kassandra finds herself in a precarious position as she tries to balance the future she desires with Kyra with the ever present threat of the cult and a prophesied catastrophe. Having been given a dark prognosis for the citizens of Greece, the world as they know it rests squarely upon her burdened shoulders. It is up to her to save them all, but how is she supposed to save them when she can't even seem to save herself? Her only solace is Kyra by her side, but even that may not be enough to stop what lies on the horizon.Sequel to "I Told You So"
Relationships: Daphnae/Kassandra (Assassin's Creed), Kassandra/Kyra (Assassin's Creed), implied past relationship - Relationship
Series: Only Human [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1687093
Comments: 263
Kudos: 254





	1. Identity

Or should I say _Beast Slayer_?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A 6 word chapter? Yup! Why? Well, that's easy! I wanted to give you all a BIG hint to the cliffhanger I left you with over a month ago because I am currently writing the first real chapter for the story and felt bad I've made you wait so long. 
> 
> Bet you know who it is now 😉.


	2. Almost Lover

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The wait is finally over so please let me be the first to welcome you to the beginning of this new journey! I am not holding anything back and we will be exploring a whole new side to Kassandra and Kyra than ever before. Past, present, and future will all be intermixed here and I will be delving into aspects of each of their lives with more detail and more depth. Don't let the title fool you either as it may look depressing, but it actually is not. It is named in honor of a new song from Dua Lipa so I would heavily recommend giving that a listen to help but your minds at ease.
> 
> As per my usual fashion, all chapters are themed to a song, but unlike my two stories prior, I'm not restricting myself to one artist. That means there's no end limit in sight so I hope you all are as stoked about it as I am!!! 
> 
> Without further ado, happy reading!
> 
> Almost Lover - A Fine Frenzy  
> https://youtu.be/I_S_TbD1XFM

It takes Kassandra a moment to register the name used, but once it clicked, the memories came rushing in like a flood. There was only one person who had ever called her that and she had not seen them in what felt like a lifetime. The odds were slim they'd reunite yet alone under such tumultuous circumstances, but Kassandra knew it to be true. There was no mistaking what she heard. 

_Beast Slayer_. 

Kassandra repeats the words over again and again, standing frozen with her eyes fixated on her spear. Words that lit a fire within her heart even after all this time, clogging her up with the smoke as it chokes out all of the air from her lungs. Her breaths come in with a tremor as she finally dares to meet the eyes that she'd dreamt about so many moons ago. 

The figure removes their hood to meet her gaze and a name softly escapes Kassandra's lips.

_"Daphnae."_

Even in the dark of the night, she could see just enough of her face to confirm her suspicions. The flames still burning reflect a glisten from her eyes the make them shine and Kassandra finds herself getting pulled into them once more. Her body is barely holding together, but seeing Daphnae had made her forget anything was amiss, that she wasn't still losing blood and on the verge of collapsing. Just for one fleeting moment, her world stood still and she was transported to part of her life she'd tried to suppress. Kassandra had never forgotten about her and time had been kind enough to allow her to move on, but now that she's standing face to face with her once more, she's not so sure that's the case. Caught up in her inner reflections, Kassandra is ignorant to the fact that all eyes have fallen upon hers as she stares at Daphnae in disbelief, even Kyra's. 

Kassandra misses the obvious confusion radiating from Kyra as she struggles to understand what is happening. She is blind to the fact that Kyra is looking to her for an explanation, just _something_ to help her decide if she needs to be worried or not. Kassandra notices nothing but Daphnae as the silence stretches longer and longer. It isn't until Kyra clears her throat that Kassandra catches that she was just staring. Realizing Daphnae is still holding out her spear, Kassandra reaches forward and grabs hold of it and returns it to her side. As unbelievable as this whole scenario is, Kassandra is reminded of another memory of their past, this one far less pleasant. 

Daphnae had made it clear that if she ever saw her again that she would kill her, but nothing about her appeared to be hostile. The Daughters still had their weapons at the ready, but Daphnae was unarmed and was _giving_ Kassandra a weapon. It was her turn to be confused, but she didn't dare let her guard down in case that changed.

"You are injured, you both are, so please step back inside and we will get you taken care of." Daphnae offers as she motions behind them both.

Kassandra searches her tone for some inflection of deception, but cannot find any and she doesn't bother to protest because Kyra had already retreated inside and she needed to keep an eye on her. She was still fragile so if Daphnae and the Daughters were willing to heal them, she needed to accept it for Kyra's sake.

Kassandra backtracks back inside the hut where she takes a protective stance in front of Kyra out of instinct.

"Relax, Beast Slayer, we will not harm her." Daphnae speaks with assurance as she instructs her healer to go speak with Kyra.

Kassandra stands down and steps to the side, but her eyes never stray far. She can't help but think this is all a trap or a ploy somehow, but she knows Kyra needs the help. It is a predicament, but she will manage it like she always does. 

"I believe we should go and speak privately, don't you?" Daphnae's voice, again, was soft and had no trace of malice.

Kassandra knows she wants to, but she doesn't want Kyra out of her sight. She's lost her once and she wasn't going to let it ever happen again. 

"She will be safe, you have my word as their leader. No harm will come from us while she is in our care."

Daphnae voices Kassandra's only concern without her having to say a word. She was always good about that and it seemed that time didn't dull her ability to get inside her mind. It probably didn't hurt that Kassandra was making it pretty clear she was protective of Kyra, but Daphnae has no clue of their relationship to one another. All she saw was that Kassandra was defending someone and took it at that.

Kassandra spares a glance to Kyra to ask for unspoken permission to leave her alone with these strangers and gets her answer in Kyra nodding approvingly. She trusted Kyra's judgment and if she was alright with the decision, she'd go speak with Daphnae in private. Before she goes though, she walks to the seat Kyra's in and crouches down in front of her to whisper.

Taking her hands in her own, she looks up to meet an unreadable expression. "I won't be far and if you feel unsafe for any reason, yell for me and I will come right back."

"Just go, I'll be fine." Kyra tries to assure her, but Kassandra can tell she's nervous and she doesn't blame her.

Giving her hands a tiny squeeze, Kassandra stands back up and follows Daphnae out of the hut into the center where she's ushered in to an empty dining area.

Kassandra doesn't wait for Daphnae to speak before she asks the question burning in her mind. "Why didn't you kill me?"

There was no use in talking around it since that was the last thing Daphnae had said to her before they parted for good. The Daughters had been instructed to kill her on sight if she ever returned here, but nothing has happened.

"You live only because of that woman with you." Daphnae steels her voice and stiffens her posture. "We had rescued her from some masked men up in the ruins and it was not looking good for her. She was delirious and kept mumbling and it wasn't until we got her fever down did we understand what she was saying. "Kassandra, please help me. I'm so scared.""

Kassandra's posture slackens as she hears the words spoken and she cannot help but be overcome with guilt. 

Daphnae looks towards her with reverence as she continues to speak. "I've known of only one Kassandra, my Beast Slayer, and I knew it was no coincidence that she had been put in my path. I knew you would follow at some point so I ordered the Daughters to stand down if they saw you as you were only coming for the woman in our care. Turns out I was right as I found your spear lodged in a gutted bear near one of the caves and here you are."

"I-, I don't know what to say." Kassandra admits honestly, stunned at what she was hearing.

"I'm not sure there is anything to say as nothing can change the paths we both walk and the oaths we both took, but for what it is worth, I am glad to see you. I have... missed you."

"Daphnae..." Kassandra's heart is in knots as it finally hears the words she had desired to hear for so long. Her emotions are no longer in her control and she can feel tears threatening to spill out if she doesn't get herself some space.

"You do not have to speak, Beast Slayer, I can see your answer in your face as I always have and that is enough for me. I never thought I'd ever see you again and I cannot ever forgive your actions, but my heart had never stopped being yours."

Kassandra's throat goes dry at Daphnae's confession. It was completely unexpected and it caught her so off guard that she could only remain in a stunned silence. Here she was, hearing that Daphnae had never stopped loving her and she hated how much that still meant to her. She had closed that painful chapter of her life, but it didn't matter when the words struck deep into the very essence of her heart. She thought she had put this behind her, but now that Daphnae was looking at her like that, her resolve crumbled.

Daphnae doesn't let her stay quiet for long before her cool demeanor returns and the moment passes. "That said, I still cannot have you here as you've shunned Artemis' gift. Once you and your friend are healed, you will need to leave and never come back or there will be consequences."

"Kyra, her name is Kyra." Kassandra interjects, but she doesn't bother to correct her with the "friend" insinuation. 

"Very well," Daphnae backtracks, "when you and Kyra are better, you must go. Am I clear?"

"Yes, I understand."

"Good, now you may return to her and please speak with our healer as you look pale and you've lost a lot of blood from the looks of it."

Kassandra had forgotten that she was quite the sight, completely covered in blood with the fresh wound on her forearm courtesy of the bear. 

"I think I will go bathe first as I'm not sure what blood is mine anymore. Can you please keep an eye on Kyra until I get back? I need to know she's safe and I trust you." Kassandra knows she has no reason to with the thinly veiled threat Daphnae just gave her, but she trusted her instincts and they told her that Daphnae would keep Kyra safe. 

"I will watch over her, you have my word." Daphnae promises and walks by Kassandra to exit, but just as their shoulders match up, Kassandra feels Daphnae's fingers brush against her own.

Kassandra takes a sharp breath in at the sensation as her fingertips trace Daphnae's own calloused skin and her mind reverts back to the many nights they traced along her body as they both lay under the stars, wrapped up in one another. Fingers that held her body close as they held onto one another and those that roamed her chest tracing patterns along her scars. Fingers that had once fit perfectly intertwined within her own, now just that of a stranger. The touch only lasted for a few seconds before Daphnae is out of range and exiting the hut, but it was just long enough for Kassandra to confirm that she wasn't as over Daphnae as she once thought. 

Kassandra takes a few controlling breaths to get her heart to stop pounding in her chest before she follows suit. She doesn't go back to Kyra, she doesn't dare after what just transpired. How could she look at Kyra when just moments ago her heart had yearned for another woman? She feels a mixture of shame wrapped up in her fixation on Daphnae that she's never felt before. Being with multiple women before had never bothered her, but she never had anyone like Kyra and Daphnae in her life at the same time until now. What she needed now was an ice cold dip in the water and some time to decompress.

Kassandra makes her way to one of the entrances and heads down to where the waterfall meets the stream. She could just sit and soak further down, but she didn't want to hear anything, not even her own thoughts yet. The only way she could do that was to be immersed where the two intersected so she wasted no time. The rain had let up quite a bit, but it was still present so Kassandra doesn't even bother to disrobe more than her spear and her utility belt filled with small daggers and her drachmae pouch before she walks beneath the cascade.

The water was cold, but it was nothing she couldn't handle or so she told herself as her muscles tensed while goosebumps overtook every inch of flesh. Her teeth began to chatter almost immediately and her body soon followed, but Kassandra didn't budge. She felt the rush of the water crashing against her face and she finally felt safe enough to break down. Kassandra sinks herself down so that she's sitting with the spray hitting her back and she weeps. She weeps for a culmination of everything that's happened to her and for everything that's yet to come. She is struggling, but she doesn't know how to fix it. The heavy burden of saving her world as she knows it is not something to scoff at, but she's just one woman at the end of the day. What can she ever do?

There were so many things unanswered and she was no closer to getting a grasp on it than she was before she went off on this crusade. Alexios had vanished and his whereabouts were unknown to her. She had no idea who the man was that stabbed her and kicked her from the ship nor did she know his connection to Kyra. He spoke of her like he held her to some standard so it was possible they knew one another. Something deadly was coming to wipe them all out, but she had no idea as to just how she could stop a plague. To add to all of it (as if that wasn't enough), her already tender heart was conflicted with her feelings for Daphnae verses those for Kyra. It was all just too damn much and she couldn't pretend anymore.

Kassandra stays sitting for about ten more minutes, allowing every tear to be shed, before the coldness of the water brought her back to how she felt in the sea. There was an inescapable chill after a certain point and she was pushing her limits as it was. She was not ready to face what had just happened to her just yet, not on top of everything else, so she would push this down and deal with it later. She had been gone longer than she anticipated, but she felt the tiniest bit lighter so it was well worth the extra time. She rinsed out her wound as thoroughly as she could with her limited arm mobility and, once satisfied it was as good as it could be, she worked her way out of the water towards her gear. 

She didn't have the strength nor the arm flexibility to refasten her belt so she grabs her spear and one end of the belt tightly and drags it back. Exhaustion begins to seep into every muscle and Kassandra becomes attuned to just how broken her body is with every step she takes. No movement she makes is without a wince to some degree and she couldn't remember the last time she's gotten a full nights rest. Kassandra didn't feel secure by any means, but she trusted Daphnae and that counted for something.

The walk doesn't take too long and Kassandra finds herself paused in front of the hut she knows Kyra's all while trying to compose herself. No matter what was bothering her, it wasn't something she would show Kyra, at least not yet. Kyra had her own set of issues and Kassandra would not burden her with her own. She would need to be a beacon of positivity and positive reinforcement even if that was the opposite of how she really felt. Someone needed to be strong for the both of them and that meant she needed to take charge and make the decisions.

Kassandra places her palm against the rough texture of the straw door and pushes it open just a little to get a glimpse inside. What she sees makes her glad that she'd already cried everything out. There before her was Kyra curled in tight ball on a bed on the ground facing the door as tears silently fall down her face. Kassandra doesn't know why she's crying, all she knows is that she never wants to see it again. She never wants Kyra to be sad as she deserves to only be filled with light and laughter, not pain and sorrow.

Kassandra pushes the door open enough to get inside and she takes the long stride to reach Kyra and immediately drops to her knees to be more level.

"What happened? What's wrong?" Kassandra asks in more of a panic as she looks her over like the cause of her distress will just jump out and announce itself.

Kyra doesn't say anything, but Kassandra can see her hug herself even tighter. When she tries to move a strand of hair from her face as a comforting gesture, Kyra winces away which makes Kassandra pause her hand immediately. She only wanted to comfort her, but she had only made it worse as Kyra didn't want her to be there. 

She would try to get her to talk and hopefully that would shed some light as to what's wrong. 

"Kyra, please, I want to help you but I don't know how to make it better. Tell me what to do." Kassandra looks at her with an observable anguish at how despondent Kyra had become.

"Go."

It was barely over a whisper, but Kassandra caught it and the message rang clear. Kyra did not want her here and she would abide by it for now. There was no way she was going to leave her, but if she wanted space, it was within her rights and she'd respect that.

"Ok, I will go, but I am not leaving you. I won't be far and when you want my company back, just call for me."

It stung a bit that Kyra didn't want her presence, but she had just given herself the benefit of some alone time so it was only fair that Kyra desired as much. Still, she didn't want to see her so upset and it hurt her heart to know she was struggling. Kassandra wouldn't leave the encampment, but she could use some fresh air to help her dry off, even if that air was on the chillier side.

Kassandra leaves the hut and decides to get an aerial view of the nights sky to decompress so she heads back to the spot she dropped with the bear (who's carcass had now been removed) and climbs ever so slowly to the top, taking care to mind her step as the rocks were slick. She hadn't bothered to take a torch as she didn't want the attention and she felt that her senses were strong enough to alert her of any lurking predators. Once she gets to the top, she sits on the ledge she had not so gracefully descended from just hours earlier and she lays on her back, allowing her legs to dangle over the edge. The view was hindered by branches, but she didn't care all that much. What this gave her was some tranquility and that beat out a beautiful view any day.

Her actions now were a stark contrast to what she had been craving before. Before she wanted to drown out every coherent thought she'd ever had and just hear nothing, now though, now she wants to feel everything. Having expended her pent up frustrations from earlier, she feels in a better head space to think about what really was going on here. She would take this time to reflect on the words spoken to her and she would work on devising a plan to help her keep in control of it all. Some (if not the vast majority) of her issues came from feeling helpless and lost, but now that she is on a more stable footing, she feels ready to take back the reins. The largest issue being what Calliope had shared with her. 

Kassandra had heard tales of the mass deaths associated with plagues and how it devastated entire regions and sent them to a collapse. Being sick was not something she ever worried about given her particular abilities, but that didn't mean much when thousands of people would die anyway. She didn't know the first thing about medicine and she doubted there would be enough time for her to learn. Even if she did try to research it, it wasn't like that was the only order of business on her plate. The cult was somehow involved in all of this too and they were a more real threat than this plague. They already exist and they already have a firm hold on most of Greece. It also all seems to come to a head in Athens as she remembers that a man would try to descend the city into ruin from the warning. She hadn't spent all that much time in Athens and her list of suspects is nonexistent, but she knows who may know. She would not be able to do this alone and would need to pull in favors from just about everyone.

Athens was the central hub for most anything so it makes sense that it would be the focal point of this too and, to her credit, she had numerous resources there that would be willing to lend a hand. Alkibiades and Sokrates were her main sources of information, but she also should have a conversation with Perikles as his fate was intertwined with this. She didn't know him all that well on a more personal basis, but she knew his intentions were pure for his people. He, best of all may, know who the man is as someone in his position must have many enemies. He may also know who the woman is that has the potential to be his successor.

Kassandra gives a sharp and aggressive huff as she takes her only free palm and presses it hard into the middle of her forehead. All this thinking was giving her a massive headache and it wasn't as if any of it could be solved now anyway. They were leagues away from Athens and neither she nor Kyra were ready to go anywhere in their current condition and they needed the rest, even if it was conditional. Depending on how Kyra fared, she'd see if Daphnae was willing to keep her until she was better and she herself would just leave and would return only once Kyra was ready. Everything with them was shaky so she didn't want to push before Kyra was ready and the world would just have to wait. She couldn't abandon her and, although that wasn't ever her intention the first time, she knew they wouldn't ever be able to recover if it happened again.

"Do you enjoy being rained on?"

The question surprises her for only a moment before she recognizes the voice as Daphnae's. She must have made the climb up to see her after watching the interaction she and Kyra just had. She brought with her a torch so Kassandra was able to see that she was in more casual attire than before, but still wearing the cloak from earlier.

"Sometimes. I find it soothing and I like the sound it makes, helps me to relax when I'm stressed."

Kassandra hadn't expected small talk considering the reminder that she wasn't welcome here only a handful of minutes ago. Kassandra sits up to get a better look at Daphnae and notices that she's carrying a bundle of some sort. 

"I never understood your purpose before, but I think I do now." Daphnae moves closer to her until they're right next to one another and she takes a seat beside her. Daphnae moves the torch down by her left side (keeping Kassandra on her right) and places the bundle in front of her. "The Daughter that rescued Kyra told me about the condition she was being kept it and the men holding her, they were not good people."

"That is an understatement."

In a change of topics, Daphnae shifts the conversation. "Here, I brought this up for you since you just took off with no protection from the rain." 

Daphnae unfolds a cloak similar to the one she had and holds it in front of her. As she reaches forward to take it, she can feel the warmth radiating from Daphnae's hand against the cool fabric of the cloak. It was tempting her to touch, but she holds back, her mind shifting to Kyra, and subsequently, who was with her now. Who was watching over her if Daphnae was here?

"And, before you ask, Kyra is safe and sleeping. I have three of my people watching over her that I trust with my life."

Kassandra smiles, illuminated only by the flicker of the struggling flame as the rain chips more and more of it away. She takes the cloak and wraps it around her shoulders, but she does not bother to put up the hood. She doesn't like them as it obstructs her vision and they were only good if she didn't want to be seen, which was the opposite scenario of what she wanted now.

"We have had problems with those masked men ever since they showed up, but we were outnumbered and didn't dare leave our home vulnerable." Daphnae opens up in a surprising gesture, allowing Kassandra a glimpse into the life she had no part of anymore. "They had killed too many of us before we could stop it and they were cowards who retreated behind high walls instead of fighting us like men. As much as I hated them, they were smart with how they played us..., played _me_ like a fool."

Kassandra can hear the shame in Daphnae's voice as it was the same tune she'd been in ever since they were captured. People like them, strong women afraid of nothing, they didn't get taken advantage of and they didn't lose. Kassandra knew firsthand how awful that taste was so it was easy for her to empathize with her frustration.

"It is hard to be backed into a corner when you know what you could do with a little space. People like you and I don't get defeated, but when we do, it is never because we're not skilled or capable. It's because of something outside our realm of control." Kassandra offers up (what she hopes) is a bit of sage advice to show she understands.

She can hear a small chuckle come from Daphnae and Kassandra watches on as she too removes the hood from the cloak, allowing the rain to brush against her face.

"Even now you still know just what to say to make me feel understood. Nobody has ever been able to make me feel this way but you. Why is that?"

Kassandra tries to ignore the implications behind the words, but she does have an answer to this. It was one she gave to Kyra back on the beach of their first night together.

"We've lived similar lives, been through similar struggles. I understand where you're coming from because I've been there too, much too often as of late. It is hard to lose when you're so used to winning."

"I find it hard to believe you know the taste of defeat. You've done the impossible and I've seen the proof for it myself. There's nothing you can't do, Beast Slayer."

Kassandra knows the words were meant to be comforting, but it didn't mask the fact that she _had_ failed and in a big way. She had failed Kyra when it mattered most and now she's traumatized with no sign of recovery in sight. 

"I used to think that too, but I'm being reminded in the worst ways that I'm still only human and that I can't fix everything. I just..." Kassandra clenches her right hand in the sling, triggering the pain from the motion through her body. It was a reminder of the failure she speaks of. "I just don't know what to do."

Kassandra hadn't meant to be so honest, but she just needed to tell someone. Kyra was out of the question so Daphnae was the next best person. Even after their tumultuous relationship, there was a deep respect for one another. She could never have been what Daphnae wanted, she never could have killed her to lead some faction. She couldn't just stay here and keep the peace, but she admired Daphnae's unwavering loyalty to her cause.

Daphnae takes the hand nearest to Kassandra and places it on top of her left hand and squeezes. "You have Artemis' guidance on your path and the answers may not always make themselves apparent, but the clues are always there. Look deep within yourself to find the answers you seek, you'd be surprised at what you may find."

Kassandra takes comfort in the gesture, but it would be a lot more difficult than just searching inside herself for the truth. She gives Daphnae a small smile, but it is laced with sadness. If only it could all be so easy.

"Thank you, for everything. I know this can't be easy for you to do." Kassandra doesn't bother to specify just what she means as she knows Daphnae understands what was left unsaid.

"It couldn't be easier and that's the problem." Daphnae answers her with the same sadness she had just shown herself. "You were never hard, Kassandra. Every time you brought me another pelt, my heart both bloomed and shattered. I knew what Artemis would have of me, but I knew what I wanted... and that was you. Loving you was never hard, but our circumstances were."

Daphnae, as if feeling the weight of just what she's confessing, breaks the eye contact and turns her attention to the trees in front of them. "You were both the best and worst thing that has ever happened to me."

Kassandra knows nothing she can say can change what happened, but she did have one thing she wanted to know after all this time.

"Do you wish you had never met me?"

She had always wondered about the women she left behind and although none really compared to Daphnae, she still wanted to know. 

"That is a question I still ask myself. I have moments when you don't cross my mind at all and other days I can't help but doubt if I made the right choice. I mean, my life is dedicated to Artemis and she is my future, but it never stopped me from imagining you by my side through it all."

Daphnae removes her hand from atop Kassandra's and moves it to grab her own as she drags up her knees to her chest in a comforting manner. "I spent many nights regretting who you were. How if you had failed even just _one_ of the tasks that I would have been preserved without a challenger and that we could have seen where life took us together. However, at the same time, I knew that if you were different from who you were that I would not love you like I did. I'm not sure I can give you an answer to your question because, for me, it changes by the day."

Kassandra absorbs every word said and she couldn't describe how it made her feel if she had to. To know how much pain she still caused Daphnae was something she couldn't fix, but it also was somehow comforting to know that she still had a place in her heart after all this time too. Kassandra had posed the same question to herself many times and her answer too varied, but after having this conversation now, she knows her forever answer.

"For what it is worth, I understand." Gods know she did. She understood more than anything. "I had also considered my life both with and without you, but I know now the answer to it. As much as it hurts to think about, what we could have been, I don't regret meeting you."

It was Kassandra's turn to offer a comforting hand as Daphnae turned to look back at her. "You are a part of me and you always will be. I would not be the same without you and I have you to thank for being where I am now. You helped me navigate a path and, although it wasn't what I wanted at the time, it was what I needed so thank you."

Kassandra removes her hand and Daphnae releases her grip around her legs and stands up, grabbing the now spent torch beside her. "It is getting late and I must rest, I believe you should do the same."

Daphnae didn't wait for her to respond before she walked away behind her, leaving Kassandra alone again with everything. It was getting very late and she still needed to get some rest and a wrap for this wound before it got infected, but before she made her descent back to hut, Kassandra reflected on their conversation.

The emotional charge between them was more intense than anything they had ever shared before. So many words had been left unspoken, so much broken time between them. It was enough to think their relationship irreparable and a lost cause, but all that second guessing became so clear in the blink of an eye. Kassandra was able to not only speak her mind, but she was invited to know where Daphnae's was as well. Their burnt bridges would never be fully repaired, but they could, perhaps, build something else instead. There was an openness with them once more and although they never could have back what they lost, they could pick up what pieces they could find and try something different this time around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How are well feeling after this emotionally charged chapter?


	3. Already Gone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Super duper sorry for the wait time on this! I am writing a whole bunch, but it just isn't anything you all can see just yet (but it is in the works). We're pumping the brakes hard here and this chapter (and the subsequent ones that follow) will be much slower paced. I am in no rush to tell their story now so each moment can have its time to shine.
> 
> Thank you all for the continued love and support and I look forward to your comments below!
> 
> Kelly Clarkson - Already Gone  
> https://youtu.be/f0T3WAbU6tg

Kassandra doesn't move to follow Daphnae and, instead, lays back down and feels the light misting of the rain on her face. She had never intended to be so honest with Daphnae, but she did so to help ease the burden on her heart, but she felt no lighter. Heavy is her heart that beats within her chest, each thud a reminder of the life she lives and the decisions she's made. There was no altering the past and, even if there was a way, she couldn't imagine a different life. It may be hard for her to see why most days, but she still knows that the path she walks is for a reason. As time passes and memories fade, she is grateful to all those who helped her get to where she needed to be. 

Her speech to Daphnae was only the truth and it surprised even herself at just how raw she had been. She may have not wanted to take the path she did, but it was what had to happen. She didn't dwell much in the "what if's" of life, but walking away from Daphnae had been one of the hardest decisions she's ever had to make and she never knew if she made the right one. It was foolish to think they could have ever had a happy ending, but she was naive and in love so what else could she do? Daphnae spoke to her in a way that no other has and it took her life completely by surprise. Daphnae saw her potential by what she could do, not by what she had done. She knew not of the famed misthios, the Eagle Bearer, but just as who she proved herself to be. Kassandra, the Beast Slayer. 

Having that anonymity only heightened her desire to please Daphnae as she got so much joy from making her happy. To see how impressed she was as she ticked the boxes next to each challenge... it was a rush. Kassandra fell deeper and deeper, running in with her eyes closed until she finally got caught in the snare life had unknowingly set. Every pelt she returned just chipped away at the thin structure of their love until it had no protection from the elements. It was forced to wither away before it ever had the opportunity to thrive. The gods had played them both in the worst of ways and she could never forgive them for it. She still had bitterness about how everything transpired, even though she accepted the outcome. 

She was reminded that fateful day that life would remain unkind and that happiness was not something she could rely on. That she should never invest so deeply that, if the connection was lost, she couldn't recover. Kassandra knew she had lost a part of herself when she walked away and she knew Daphnae had felt the same. She could taste it in her tears as they kissed their final kiss, bittersweet. It wasn't so much the fact that she felt she and Daphnae could've taken on the world together, but it was that they never had the opportunity to try. It would have ended in heartbreak no matter her choice, but she at least _wanted_ to make that call. Instead, her hand was forced and there wasn't anything she could do about it.

The low rumble of thunder pulls Kassandra out of her thoughts mere moments before the rain increases. The light mist had morphed into something heavier, a fitting show of solidarity with how she was feeling inside. Like the skies around her, she found herself in a storm of sorts with no way to stop it. Nature had to run its course, just like with life, and she would just have to do the best she could to still be standing by the end of it. That said, laying outside in such a storm was unwise no matter the story so it was probably time for her to head back and try to get some sleep. With her limbs heavy from the rains saturation, Kassandra opts to take the easier route down and treks her way through the mud to Kyra's hut.

Her bathing from earlier seemed to have been undone in such a short time as her body was caked in mud and grass. She still had not tended to her wound yet either and, while it wasn't the cleanest it had been, it wasn't that bad. She would do a quick wrap when she got inside before she called it a night. Taking great care to keep quiet, Kassandra pulls back the door enough to slip in.

There was a dim glow of candlelight illuminating the modest sized hut and Kassandra could see the silhouette of Kyra's shadow on the floor. There was nobody else present inside, but she could see the outline of two of the Daughters just outside through a gap in the wall. Daphnae had kept her word and she knew Kyra would be safe here for now. This feeling allowed her to relax just enough to hopefully get a good night's rest.

Kassandra only saw one bed and, although it was large enough, Kyra was sleeping soundly on it and she didn't want to disturb her. She had spent what felt like weeks sleeping upright with her hands tied behind her so taking a night on the floor would be an upgrade. Before she settled in though, she still had to try to get her wound tended before it got infected.

Daphnae was kind enough to have left her the necessary supplies, but Kassandra had a _slight_ problem. She couldn't move her right arm without feeling a sharp pain so placing the medicine and wrapping it tightly was not in the realm of possibilities. 

"Malaka... this damn arm." Kassandra mutters out the frustrated complaint as she holds the ointment in her hand. "I'm no better than a child at this rate."

"You complain like one too."

Kassandra turns herself around to where Kyra was and, by the light, she could see that Kyra was no longer sleeping and looked to be quite awake.

"I'm sorry for waking you up. Please ignore me and go back to bed." Kassandra offered in an apology as she didn't mean to be so loud.

"You sound like you're having some problems. What are you trying to do?" Kyra asks in a half yawn as she moves to sit up.

"I'm just trying to fix up my arm before it gets infected. I'll be alright." It was a lie of sorts, but she didn't want to trouble Kyra and she would (eventually) get it done.

"You're trying to patch up your semi useless left arm with your completely useless right arm. Yeah, sounds like you've got this completely handled."

"I'll get it sooner or later." Which was the truth as she always found a way, even if it was a bit unconventional.

"Or you could let me help you."

Kassandra had not wanted to bother her, but now that Kyra had extended the offer, she knew better than to just dismiss it. "If it is not too much trouble, thank you."

"Come and sit down, I cannot reach you from up there."

"Oh, right, of course."

Kassandra holds as tight as she can to the supplies as she tries to gently lower herself. She ended up hitting the ground rather hard as her legs just didn't have the strength and gave out, but she didn't drop anything so it was at least a success by that standard. She was not use to her body being so abused, so _frail_. It wasn't a term she ever believed she'd use for herself, but the more she pushed on, the more she saw it more clearly. She thought herself invincible, but now she had to come to terms that she wasn't as indestructible as she believed. She may defy all logic and rational thinking, but there was indeed a limit that, once crossed, could destroy her. It was not a particularly comfortable thought, but there was no use in her denying this. Her mortality more apparent than ever and, she wouldn't lie, that terrified her.

"Are you just going to stare at me or are you going to let go so I can fix you up?"

Kyra's comment broke her out of the trance she was in and she quickly averts her gaze to stare at the ground beneath them. "I'm sorry about that, here."

Kassandra passes everything over to Kyra who wastes no time in getting to work. At first they only sit in silence while Kassandra fights the urge to wince at the pain. She knew she didn't have to pretend in front of Kyra, but it was a habit that had been ingrained for so long that it wasn't something she believed she could stop. She always had to be tougher, stronger, sturdier than the rest to defy the scrutiny, but Kyra was never like that. She didn't measure Kassandra in appearance, but of her actions and how it was used in relation to others. It did not matter to her if she had slayed hundreds of men or if she was able to defeat group of enemies at a time, but if the killings were just. 

Neither of them were anywhere near the moral high grounds, but that didn't mean they were bad people, especially Kyra. She knew she had killed before, stolen, and even cheated, but it didn't define who she was. She killed for the greater good, to stop powers from choke holding innocent people and to free them from a tyrannical rule. She stole to feed the hungry, to supply those who could not provide for themselves. She cheated men out of their ill gotten gains and drachmae so she could redistribute it to the poor. The actions themselves would appear to be reprehensible if only glanced at from the surface, but underneath held so much more.

"It amazes me how you're still alive." Kassandra almost misses Kyra's comment because of how softly it was said, but she manages to catch it. Her voice was laced with an awe she had not heard from her before. Kassandra doesn't dare speak to break Kyra's train of thought, but she can't resist looking back up to meet Kyra's gaze.

"I've seen you die." Kyra speaks so surely, with only a small crack in her voice with the final word as she begins to disinfect the angry red gash. "I watched what happened to you on the ship and there was no way you could have survived it. You shouldn't be in front of me, you shouldn't be alive. You fought a _bear_ and walked away from it with only this. You shouldn't even exist, but here you are. You're extraordinary."

Kassandra doesn't feel right ruining this moment so she accepts Kyra's words to just be as they were and allows that two spoken to sink in. She's been called many things over the years, but "extraordinary" has never been one of them. Even if she had heard it before, it wouldn't have mattered because nobody would have said it like Kyra had. 

"And I think to myself, I try to fathom why you're here, but I never can find an answer." Kyra says more to herself than to Kassandra as she wipes away the excess wine before grabbing a fresh roll of cloth. "I don't know if I'll ever understand you or if I even can. There's so much more to you than meets the eye and I don't even know if you fully know just what you can do. It's a scary thought, but it is also exciting, isn't it?"

"I-, I've never thought about it like that before." Kassandra answers honestly as she breaks her silence. "I don't know if I've ever really taken the time to really think about just what I do. I mean, I know it when it happens, but I've not ever actively tried to find out more. Everything I know I can do is by sheer accident or dumb luck."

"I don't think you're lucky at all. In fact, I think just the opposite." Kyra comments as she wraps the cloth snugly against Kassandra's skin. "I mean honestly, what regular person goes through even a quarter of what you have? Nobody is ever that lucky and I think you're so far from it that you attract all the worst the gods have to offer."

With a sharp tug, Kyra tightens the knot and allows her hands to ghost over her handiwork. Kassandra can _just_ feel the touch and reacts accordingly with goosebumps that sends a sharp pain up her arm. Her face remains unmoved by the pain because she knows Kyra would withdraw at the slightest hint of a wince. She was willing to feel the throbbing ache if it meant she could have her touch for just a moment more. Kassandra was never one for more intimate gestures, but she can see now how much she has been missing out on. A touch just to touch, a touch just to _feel_ that she's still here. It is breathtaking.

"All done." Kyra says as she removes her hands, wiping away any excess blood on her own clothes. "I hope it doesn't hurt you too much. I'm not a healer by any means, but I think it'll heal up just fine and be a nice new scar for you in no time."

"I seem to be getting a whole lot of those lately. I don't think there will be an unmarred spot on me at this rate."

"Scars are stories so it only means you have that much more to tell."

"They're not all good stories."

"They don't have to be, but their still yours. What you take from them is up to you, but consider them a reminder of a dark time and remember that you're still here in spite of them." Kyra tilts her gaze up as she takes in the thatch roof above them. "You have won over every dark day and a scar was the worst thing it could do to you."

Kassandra's taken aback by the depth of Kyra's words and she too decides to look up towards the covered sky. She closes her eyes as she listens to the rain intensify and the thunder as it booms in the clouds above. Kyra had been right, she'd been so very right about everything. She has survived every encounter the gods have thrown her way and she's still here. It may not have been easy, but she did it and kept on walking. This conversation she and Kyra were having was not something she could've ever predicted, but it was just the thing she needed to hear.

"Are you tired too?" Kassandra hears Kyra ask between the boisterous thunder claps.

"Yeah, I think I am." Kassandra answers as she tilts her chin back down to match Kyra. "I didn't know how exhausted I was until I stopped moving."

"I don't think I've said this yet, but thank you Kassandra. Thank you for coming to find me, to save me. I haven't been myself and I don't know if I can ever go back to how I once was, but I do know that I wouldn't be here, alive, if it wasn't for you."

"I would do anything for you."

"I know you would and that's what scares me. That you're willing to do such stupid things, all in the name of me. I don't know if I can handle being the cause of what eventually kills you."

"Kyra, listen to me." Kassandra implores as she reaches out her freshly bandaged arm to take Kyra's hand. "My actions are never your fault. Whatever I choose to do is not anything you can control. I will always protect you, even if you don't want me to. I will _always_ find you. It doesn't matter how far you push me away, I will never stop."

"I'm not worth you dying for. And don't- don't you dare say that I'm wrong." Kyra chastises before Kassandra can even get those exact words from her mouth. "My life is not worth more than yours and I wish you'd stop being such a hero all the damn time."

"It isn't being a hero if I'm why you got into the mess in the first place! You ask for me to see, but you're just as blind. You would have me not try to amend my mistakes? You'd prefer it if I just let you die?"

"Yes!" Kyra blurts out in anguish. "Yes! Yes! For gods sake, yes!"

Kassandra recoils at Kyra's confession and withdraws her hand immediately. "How dare you?! You don't get to say that, not after all of this. You don't. You don't get to just give up after _everything_."

"It isn't your choice to make! Don't you see? I've been tortured, Kassandra. TORTURED. For days on end without mercy and I wanted to die. I wanted to die so badly, but I couldn't and I hated it. I hated it and I hated you."

"Me?" 

"You were so strong, far stronger than I could ever have hoped to be and you kept it together. You did what I couldn't do and you made the decisions that I couldn't. I was falling apart and I was so mad at you for being so put together. For being everything I needed you to be and more without hesitation. You talk about me being selfless, but Kassandra, I don't think you understand just what you've done for me."

"I understand precisely what I've done and I would do it all again in a heartbeat. You don't get to do this to me. You do not get to make me feel guilty for saving you because I won't be and never will."

"But-"

"No!" Kassandra shouts in anger as she slams her left fist into the dirt, sending a shockwave of pain throughout her body. She uses the pain to fuel her anger as she hits a peak of rage she's not seen before. "You don't think I've wanted to give in? You don't think I've just wanted to die? Because I have! You have no idea the horrors I've seen and you couldn't even imagine what I had to do to make it back to you."

Kassandra abruptly stands and begins to pace in a small line, back and forth, as she tries to channel all this pent up aggression that's coursing through her. "I DIED! I died back in the sea that night. I had to fight my way back and face unspeakable things for only the slightest hint of reuniting back to you, but I did it. I was boiled alive, I was forced to relive the most painful moments of my life, and I was brought to the brink of mental exhaustion where I begged for mercy. I had asked for death, but once faced with it, I knew I could never take it. Leaving this world meant that I would be living without you and that wasn't something I was willing to accept. So don't you DARE tell me that you wished you had died!"

"Kassandra..." Kyra chokes out a sob as she speaks her name, but tears do nothing to stop this feeling within her. 

"I don't want to see or speak to you right now." Kassandra hated to say it and the words felt so bitter on her tongue, but she knew if she didn't walk away now that she would lose all control and she didn't want that. As irrational as she felt, she didn't want to take it out on Kyra, but it was getting hard not to. "I am going to find somewhere else to sleep."

"Kassandra, wait!" Kyra calls out, but it falls on deaf ears.

Kassandra doesn't falter her steps as she strides out the door as quickly as she possibly could and she doesn't look back. Her chest is heaving and a ringing begins to echo within her head. Her vision is beginning to blur and her breaths are coming in as more of a gasp. She doesn't want to stop, she _can't_ until she gets away. She pushes on until her legs refuse to move and she only gives in when they collapse beneath her, dropping her to the ground. Out of instinct, she curls herself into a tight ball and she clenches her eyes shut to try to focus, but she can't get through.

"-ayer? Can you hear me?"

A voice breaks through, but there's too much going on for her to get to it. Her heart pounds harder and faster in her head and her arm rises up to press up against it to try to ease the tension, but it doesn't work.

"You're going to be alright, just focus on my voice. Come back to me."

Why was she being tortured so? She had done everything they had asked, but she still has to fight like she never left.

"Help me get her up! Bring her to my hut and fetch a bucket of cold water, she's got a fever. Now!"

She can't have a fever because she's so cold. Her body begins to shiver as if on cue to help prove her point.

"It is my choice to make and do not dare question my decision again! Move her. Now!"

Kassandra can feel hands touching her body, but she doesn't dare open up her eyes. She's afraid of what she's going to see, that this was all just a dream and that she hasn't actually escaped. She couldn't bear it if she did all that and it was just her imagination.

"Set her down, gently."

"-ssss" Kassandra jostles in pain as her slinged arm gets bumped into something hard.

"I said gently! Now go, give me some space to work."

Kassandra feels a cool sensation on her forehead and despite how cold she feels, it was a welcomed relief.

"I need to know you can hear me. Can you squeeze my hand?"

Kassandra feels something warm land in her palm and she follows the instructions and tries to squeeze it.

"Good, very good. Can you speak? Are you able to do that?"

"It hurts... it hurts...," Kassandra tries to force out, but her mouth doesn't seem to want to cooperate. Instead of the clear, concise message she intended, it jumbles out in a broken mess. "-t hur-... it -rts." 

"I can't understand, but it is a start I suppose. Can you open your eyes?"

Was this a trick? What would she see when she opens them? It could confirm her worst fears and there would be no pretending anymore. At least now she had a shred of denial left, but when she sees it for herself, she'll know the truth.

"Kassandra, open your eyes. Look at me."

There was no use delaying the inevitable. If she was destined to live a life of misery, there was nothing she could do to stop it. Calliope had warned her that Melanthios and others had wanted to see her fail. She knew there would be an active resistance against her, but for why, she still didn't know. She couldn't let them get the best of her, not again. Using her last bit of willpower, Kassandra cracks open one of her eyes.

The first thing she sees is absolutely nothing. Nothing but a foggy haze and her worst fears begin to rise up within her. She opens up her other eye in the hope that it would see something different, but it was the same scene. She must be back underwater and this was all just some sick game. Everything she thought she knew, that she _did_ was just a lie, an illusion.

"Can you see me?"

"No, -n't -ist."

"Malaka! Your fever is worse than I thought. Don't worry, I'll be right back."

It wasn't like she could go anywhere anyway so any effort was useless. She must be within Melanthios' hold that kept her still as she was almost boiled alive. Her body tenses at the anticipation and her shivers begin to intensify into an almost convulsion.

"Oh no, no, no. Don't you dare! Open your mouth, you need to drink this."

Kassandra clutches every muscle in her face and her eyes squint shut as she tries to keep her jaw clenched as it is attempted to be opened. She fights it with everything she has. 

"Stop fighting me you stubborn fool! I need you to drink this for me and it will make you feel better."

Kassandra tries to keep her mouth closed, but she isn't strong enough. The liquid as it hits her tongue tastes pungent and it is so very bitter that it makes her nauseous almost immediately. She tries to spit it out but a hand claps over her mouth and nose, forcing her to swallow.

"Shh, shh, it's going to be ok. Just drink the rest of this and you'll be able to sleep this away."

When she's allowed to breathe again, she gasps like there was a weight crushing her lungs, deep yet unfilling. She isn't allowed to do any more as another dose of the unknown liquid gets forced down her throat. She finds her nose and mouth covered once more as she has no choice but to swallow.

"I'm sorry I had to do this, but you left me no choice. Rest now and when you awaken you'll feel much better."

Better? That was highly doubtful, but she was feeling incredibly tired all of a sudden. What was in that drink? The pain she felt began to subside and, instead, was replaced with a tingling. It mimicked the sensation of when she'd sit on her leg too long or when her arm would fall asleep under the weight of Kyra when they slept. Each limb, over time, began to have a heaviness to it, but it wasn't uncomfortable. It reminded her of her times as a child when she would bury her legs in the sand on the beaches of Kephallonia and try to wiggle free. It wasn't soon after she reflected back to her times as a girl that her mind wiped completely and she sunk into a deep sleep.

For once, Kassandra found herself waking up in a more serene calm than her usual rousing. She couldn't remember her dreams and the usual faces that haunted her were nowhere to be found. 

"-any change?"

"I think she's about to wake up if you want to go and let her know."

Were they talking about her? She didn't recognize the voices, but they sounded nice enough. Wanting to get up, Kassandra attempts to stretch, but regrets it immediately. Her muscles ache like she'd been training all day and her stomach feels like it's about to turn inside out.

"Oh gods, my stomach." Kassandra groans out as she halts herself mid stretch and returns her knees back to cradle her chest. A wave of nausea hits her hard and she's got no strength left to keep it down. Even after a nights rest she still hadn't eaten anything in days and she's had only a little water. Rolling to her side, she proceeds to dry heave.

"Oh gods, just stay put and I'll go get someone." A woman requests and she's just fine with that as she doesn't feel like moving at all in her current condition anyway. 

Her head had a bit of a throb to it after she settled back down, but it was manageable. She could tell it was light outside from the warmth she felt upon her eyelids. She opened her eyes just enough to test the brightness and, after an initial few blinks, opened her eyes fully.  
She was definitely in one of the Daughter's huts, but she couldn't place the interior so it couldn't have been a common area. This appeared to be similar in terms of the materials, but it was much more spacious. It also was filled with various items of what she could assume were of great importance and (set to a corner) was a stack of pelts lined neatly beside one another. It had a far more personal touch than she'd witnessed so far. 

She couldn't for the life of her remember how she got here. The last thing she recalls was storming out of Kyra's hut after their argument and everything after that was a blur.

"What happened?" Kassandra mutters to herself as she places her hand on her forehead.

"That is a good question." Daphnae chimes in as she enters and moves towards where Kassandra was laying down.

"Where am I? How'd I get here?" Kassandra asks in a bit of a daze as she tries once again to sit up.

"Easy, Beast Slayer, there is no rush to get up. You need your rest." Daphnae answers as she moves to sit across from Kassandra. "And you're in my private quarters, I had you brought here after we found you in the woods."

"The woods? I don't remember going there." Kassandra tries to focus, but the extra strain is only causing her headache to fry worse.

"Don't strain yourself, you're not out of danger yet." Daphnae speaks tenderly as she reaches her hand out to press against Kassandra's collar. "You were in rough shape when we got to you and I was afraid you wouldn't recover so lay back down, please."

Kassandra doesn't resist and allows herself to be set back down as she looks over Daphnae. She can see a genuine concern on her face and a look of relief that she was improved. It was not something she expected given their history, but this wasn't her first surprise and it certainly wouldn't be her last.

Kassandra's stomach decides that now would be the perfect time to interject itself as it grumbles loudly. "Uh, sorry about that. I've just not eaten in a few days." She needed to get some food in her, desperately, even if the idea of it made her stomach churn.

"I will go fetch you some food and let you rest." Daphnae moves to leave, but Kassandra doesn't want her to go.

"No!" Kassandra shouts, startling them both. "I mean, no, please don't go. I just-... I just really need a friend."

"I have to go as I have duties I must attend to." Daphnae gives her a pensive look as she stands up and Kassandra doesn't even bother to hide her disappointment. "But how about I have some food delivered to you and a promise that I'll return within a couple hours. Does that work?"

Kassandra wasn't sure if it was her pout or Daphnae's good nature that got her to agree to return, but Kassandra was grateful for it. "Yeah, that's fine."

"Good. I'll have food sent right away and I'll be back as soon as I can." Daphnae smiles sweetly at her before she grabs one of her bows hanging from the walls.

Daphnae heads to the door and a thought strikes Kassandra. She's never thanked Daphnae for any of this and it was about time she did. "Daphe, I don't think I've ever thanked you. You've defied everything for me and I know that must have been difficult. I don't know how to repay you."

Daphnae pauses her hand at the door and turns to face her. "I believe Artemis put you back in my path for a reason and I may not know why yet, but I trust her guidance. You play a part in something larger than you can imagine and I intend to find out why."

Kassandra only nods as Daphnae walks out, leaving her alone with just her thoughts. Daphnae had no idea just how right she was with what she said and it was eerily close to what Calliope had prophesied for her. Kassandra wouldn't have ever believed it if not for her recent brush with death and she is slowly finding herself coming to terms with the fact that she'll be kept in the dark for what is to come. If anyone can help her understand a message from the gods, it would be Daphnae. That is, if she believed her.


	4. Cool

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To make up for the fact that I took so long last time, I have another update for you already! Now I know I've said this before, but I really do just want to reiterate that this story will be slow going and is completely unlike its predecessor ITYS. It may take multiple chapters for even a day's worth of story time as I am not skipping any issue or plot potential. We are in no rush here.
> 
> That said, I do hope you still love it and I look forward to your comments 😊
> 
> Gwen Stefani - Cool  
> https://youtu.be/GSXAy27afcY

The time passed by in a blur as Kassandra faded in and out of a restless sleep. It probably was no more than a few minutes at a time before she'd become agitated and startled awake. She managed to eat a bit to quell her stomach, but she still felt sick. She was back to her old routine in a sense so while it brought back familiarity, it wasn't what she wanted. She kept replaying her fight with Kyra again and again and it always ended the same way, in utter disappointment. The look of pure defeat and hopelessness when she confessed her true feelings was not something she could shake. It haunted her and, although she'd tried, she couldn't find any shred of doubt in Kyra's conviction. Each time Kyra came to her in her dreams, her eyes were anything but lively. They were dark and hollow, lacking of any shine that was notoriously Kyra. They were devoid of love.

Kassandra could try to pretend all she wanted, but she couldn't see anything but animosity reflecting back at her. She doesn't like it. She doesn't like it at all. She can make all the excuses that she wants, she can lie to herself, but what good would it do? There had been a shift between them and the outlook is looking increasingly grim. Kassandra wants to just forget everything so they can live in a blissful ignorance and be happy, but she could never allow it. It would be more lies between them and they would be doomed to fail off that alone. How she desperately wished she knew what to do here, but this was all unfamiliar territory. Nobody had ever been worth the effort before and it was unlikely that anyone else ever would be either. It was frustrating that she couldn't get it right, even with her best intentions. She was just so mad. So, _so_ mad. 

Kassandra had tried so hard to keep her emotions in check during this whole ordeal. She tried _so_ hard to be strong and sturdy and everything that Kyra needed, but it was all for nothing. Kyra now resented her for it and all the good she tried to do was washed away. It felt like she was falling down a bottomless pit and there was nothing for her to grab on to. Physical pain was something she could handle, something she was used to, but what she was feeling now was just unbearable. There was no remedy to cure her, nothing she could mend to stop this. This was a special kind of pain that had the potential to last with her for life. 

Her inner turmoil is interrupted by the door opening and as Kassandra looks up, she spots an apologetic face.

"I am sorry it took me so long, I had not meant to be gone this long." Daphnae apologizes as she begins to remove some of her leather gear to make herself a bit more comfortable.

"I am just surprised you're here is all. I didn't actually think you'd come back." 

"I try to be as loyal to my word as I can and I do not make a promise that I do not intend to keep." Daphnae speaks with a conviction as she deposits her bow down in its stand. "You should know me better than that."

"You're right, I'm sorry," Kassandra apologizes in earnest, "I'm just not myself."

"Now that much is clear. You're not the woman I remember." Daphnae doesn't say it as an insult, but as an observation.

"That's what I was hoping to speak with you about." Kassandra adjusts herself to a sitting position, ignoring the light headedness that strikes immediately. "There's so much that's happening since we were last together and I know, _I know_ that this will sound ridiculous, but I swear it is all true."

"Kassandra," Daphnae speaks softly as she takes a seat across from where Kassandra was sitting, "you're talking to me like I already don't believe you. You do not need to be on the defensive. I will listen to what you have to say with an open mind, I promise."

"I'm sorry."

"And you need to stop apologizing, it is unbecoming. You have nothing to be sorry for."

"Sor-"

Daphnae shoots her an all too familiar look and the rest of the word dies on her tongue. Kassandra adjusts herself slightly under the weight of the gaze and she watches as Daphnae leans back to get comfortable. 

"Now, what is it you want to talk about, Beast Slayer?"

Kassandra starts from the beginning, sparing no detail (sans her relationship with Kyra) to give Daphnae the full picture. She tells her about the cult and their influence, she tells of their kidnapping and torture, and she tells of her abilities.

"By the gods, that explains so much!" Daphnae says in amazement. "No person should have been able to complete the challenge unless they were touched by Artemis herself... I had always doubted in that when you walked away, but our prophecy was right all along. I knew you were a gift."

"I don't know if I'd go that far, I am probably the furthest thing from a gift. I feel more like a curse, sending malice upon all those I care about."

"What makes you think that? Surely it could not all be so bad."

At that moment, Kassandra tells her about how she died and the prophecy that she received.

"You... died?!" Daphnae looks on in utter disbelief. "But how?"

"I mean, I was in rough shape to begin with and being impaled by my own spear to my stomach didn't help much. Being caught in the storm we had been, if the stab wound didn't do it, the drowning would have."

"I..." Daphnae stalls to search for the right phrasing, "just am having a hard time imagining such a scenario."

"You don't believe me. I understand." Kassandra states dejectedly. "I wouldn't believe me either."

"It isn't that I don't believe you, but I just don't understand how you can drown in the middle of the sea only to wake up and swim to shore like it hadn't just happened."

"I hadn't _actually_ drowned, at least not yet."

"But you were underwater?"

"Yes."

"Do you know how you woke up?" Daphnae asks as she leans forward, entranced, a sign to Kassandra that she just may believe the craziness she's speaking.

"I had passed my trials."

"Your... trials? Like a test of merit?"

"Sort of, yeah. I had to face demons of my past and make the right decisions. If I did that, then and only then, would I be granted access to my body back and another chance to save myself."

"Demons? That sounds horrific! I knew the gods could be cruel, but this seems beyond anything I could ever understand."

Kassandra goes on to speak about Melanthios and Calliope and the prophecy that was bestowed upon her. That the fate of the Greek world rests squarely on her shoulders and that she has no idea why.

"What are you going to do? What is your plan?"

"I wish I knew," Kassandra sighs as she leans forward so her elbow could rest on her leg, "but I seem to have more questions than answers. I tried to ask for more guidance, but it falls on deaf ears. Calliope had warned me of deities that wanted to see me fail so perhaps they're the ones to blame for this mess, but maybe it just is my fault. Maybe I'm not the right person for this and that they got it wrong."

"You cannot honestly believe that?"

"I don't see why not. I can't seem to do anything right so how am I supposed to save us? I can't even save myself!" Kassandra doesn't mean to yell the last part, but her emotions have been getting the better of her as of late. "I am just putting on a brave face, but I can't do it anymore. I'm just so tired, I'm so very tired. I feel like I'm fighting a losing battle."

Kassandra buries her head in her palm in an attempt to keep herself together, but the feel of Daphnae's hand cupping her cheek breaks her resolve. Tears begin to flow freely, ignoring her pleas to not appear so weak in front of a woman she respects, a woman she trusts.

"You're allowed to breathe, Kassandra." Daphnae speaks softly as she wipes away a tear with her thumb. "You're allowed to be human. You're not infallible and you can't keep pretending that you are. When was the last time you had a break?"

"You just don't get it." Kassandra mutters under her breath. "I _can't_ just take one. I can't just decide that I'm done or else the choices will have consequences for more than just me."

"You always were such a bleeding heart." Daphnae jokes in an attempt to lighten the mood. 

Kassandra pulls back to break the contact as it was too much for now and she uses her left hand to wipe away the excess tears still staining her face.

"Look," Daphnae addresses her as she gets up from her chair and heads to the back of her hut, "I'm not saying you have to call off your quest, just maybe take a moment for yourself. You're entitled to that much, are you not?"

Kassandra raises her voice just a bit as Daphnae is now clear out of her line of sight. "I guess you're not wrong, but I'm not sure if I dare."

The sound of something breaking catches Kassandra's attention that is quickly followed by some colorful language from Daphnae before her reappearance with some new cloth and a bucket.

"Arm please." Daphnae requests and Kassandra extends it out for whatever she has planned.

"This needs to be changed as it is soaked through, in case you were wondering."

"I hadn't even noticed."

"I've already cleaned up enough of your blood to last a lifetime, I'd rather you not stain my bed." Daphnae says as she peels off all the soiled cloth.

"I'm in your bed?" Kassandra questions as Daphnae wipes down her arm with the water from the bucket, taking great care to not agitate her wounds.

"Who's bed did you think this was?" Daphnae chuckles as she applies the new wrap.

"I, uh, never gave it much of a thought." Kassandra moves her freshly bandaged arm to rub the back of her neck. "I can go somewhere else so you can have your space back."

"You're still healing and I'd rather be able to keep an eye on you and this is the only place with any privacy. I've made alternative arrangements for myself in the mean time."

"And you're sure this isn't an issue?" Kassandra motions to herself before she moves her arm in a general sweep of the room.

"You being in my room?" Daphnae questions with a furrowed brow.

"Well yes, but just me here in general. I know I'm not wanted so I guess I just am waiting for the hospitality to turn sour at any moment now."

"Ah." Daphnae gives a short acknowledgement before she takes a few steps back to set the bucket down.

"I just don't want to make this difficult for you." Kassandra continues. "You've already done more than you ever should have and I don't want to seem ungrateful, because I am deeply in your debt for this, but shouldn't I be moving along?"

Daphnae pauses for just a split second, but it is one Kassandra catches. A sign of hesitation which means that things are not so smooth. She didn't think they would be, but she'd never want to risk ruining Daphnae's life more than she already has.

"I will not lie and say your unexpected appearance hasn't... _complicated_ matters, but I am still in charge here and my word is enough to get them to stand down."

"Would me talking to them help at all?" Kassandra offers up as she wants to keep the peace for everyone's sake.

"No." Daphnae answers without any pause for thought. "That's another reason you're in here as you're more out of sight and that makes you less of a focal point."

"I can just go, honestly. I will just find somewhere else until Kyra is ready and healthy." Kassandra offers to, again, try to help. "I may look like a mess, but I can take care of myself."

"I don't doubt you can. You forget that I do know you, even if it has been a while." Daphnae gives a smile, but it appears more bittersweet than comforting. "But that is not happening and you're not leaving until you both are healthy. End of story."

"You were always so strict." Kassandra teases as she scoots backwards to lay back down.

"Are you feeling well?" Daphnae asks her in concern by the shift in her position.

"I am a bit dizzy, but I'm fine." Kassandra brushes off the severity, but Daphnae doesn't seem to be buying it.

"Don't you lie to me." Daphnae rebukes firmly.

"I am not lying. I just felt light headed when I sat up and it hadn't really gone away so I'm seeing if this helps. If it doesn't, I will let you know."

"You'd better. I won't lose you twice," Kassandra can hear the crack in her voice, but she doesn't bring attention to it, "not when I can do something about it."

There it was. The trigger of the conversation she knew the two of them needed to have. The culmination of the two years they'd been apart and what it meant for them in the present. Kassandra hadn't exactly been looking forward to this because, if their prior conversations had taught her anything, it was that her heart still had some connection to Daphnae after all this time. This would be the time to get everything off her chest and to hold nothing back. They would never have this opportunity again so she needed to make the most of it.

"Daphe," Kassandra speaks tenderly in an attempt to console the brokenness Daphnae must be feeling too, "you've never lost me. I am still here and I think a part of me always has been. What happened between us was something I wish went differently, but it didn't change how much you meant to me. I still care."

Daphnae turns her head away from Kassandra's direction, trying to hide just how much this hurt them both. "I have lost you in the way it mattered." Daphnae's voice was laced with a sadness from the loss of who they were and what they could've become. Kassandra hadn't expected it as she had put up a good front, but it looked like she wasn't the only one wearing a mask. "I have lost your love."

Kassandra found herself speechless at the confession. They had never been emotional when it came to one another (with the exception of their final parting) so to hear such a raw admission...

"And I know it was my fault, but I had made a vow to Artemis and I just couldn't break it, even if I broke myself."

"Look at me, Daphe," Kassandra asks softly, "please."

Daphnae doesn't move and Kassandra knows that she won't show her the weakness of seeing her cry. If she wanted Daphnae's attention, she was going to have to take more drastic measures.

"Look at me or I will get up and walk away from here." Kassandra decides to take a very firm (and very risky) approach.

"Don't be ridiculous."

"Try me." Kassandra challenges as she sits up, feeling the light headedness hit once again. It makes her feel sick, but she doesn't care at this point. She needed to show she meant business and this was the only way to do it. "Turn around and face me or I will walk away and we will never speak of this again. Please, don't make me do this because I don't want to."

Kassandra waits, but Daphnae makes no move to turn around so she takes it to the next step. There was nothing she could use to pull herself up so after a couple of rocks to get some momentum, she manages to get to her feet. It was, of course, a _terrible_ idea and she regretted it immediately. Her balance was off due to the light headedness and her legs felt asleep. She knew the moment she moved her leg that it was all going to go downhill from there, but she had already committed. As soon as she takes her first step, her knee buckles and she's left with almost nothing around her to catch herself. She tries to move her other foot forward, but it wasn't quick enough and her body begins to sink like a rock in a pond. 

While the actions were instantaneous, it felt as if the moment went by in slow motion. Kassandra had managed to angle herself just right that her face was on a collision course with a sharp corner of a chest placed near the foot of the bed. It couldn't have been in a worse spot, but by the time Kassandra registered what was about to happen, it was too late. She couldn't cushion her fall for anything and what happened next was just full force. The left portion of her face smashes into the sharp corner edge, slicing her clean from the inside bridge of her nose, over her eye, ending just above her eyebrow. The best news out of all of this was that the force rendered her unconscious so the pain was nonexistent, that was, until she woke up.

Wincing from the sting of her face as she regains consciousness, Kassandra tries to figure out (yet again) just what happened.

"Malaka..." Kassandra hisses as she touches the new gash that now branded her face. 

"You scared the life out of me! What is wrong with you? Why would you do that?!" Daphnae berates her, any prior sign of sadness replaced with an intense worry.

"In my defense, I did not see that coming."

"You joke at a time like this?" Daphnae scoffs in anger. "You could've really hurt yourself! I told you to rest."

"I needed you to turn around."

"You didn't have to maim yourself in the process! Gods, you're so stubborn."

"But it worked." Kassandra offers her a smile, feeling some pain in her cheek as she does it. "Now, are we going to have that talk or do I have to injure myself again? Because I have plenty more space."

"Don't you dare." Daphnae shoots her a glare before her feature soften. "I'm surprised your body hasn't fallen apart yet at this rate with how much you beat on it."

"Believe me, I think it wants to, but just can't because I'm, you know, special."

"That you are and I do suppose you're right. I'm sorry I handled this all poorly before," Daphnae looks down in guilt, "I should have just turned around and this never would've happened."

"I feel repetitive as I've said this not long ago to someone else, but you're not responsible for my actions. I made a decision and anything that comes after is a result I have to accept." Kassandra traces the outline of her newest "soon to be" scar and smirks. "This just wasn't one of my better decisions."

"You can say that again." Daphnae chuckles, her mood softened. "But I suppose it did work so perhaps it wasn't the worst."

Kassandra offers up a warm smile in spite of the pain it causes her. "Be careful because that sort of sounds like you're agreeing with me and that's never something you like to do."

"It seems we've always found ourselves at odds, no?" Daphnae says in a reflection. "I don't think you and I ever saw eye to eye."

"I don't think we ever have, no. Maybe I needed the bump to the head to get us to agree on something. How long was I out anyway?"

"Not very long, thankfully. Just enough to scare me, but not enough for me to panic."

"How does it look? Be honest."

Kassandra was no strangers to scars as her body was peppered with them, but she always became a little self conscious when it came to her face. She wasn't vain by any means, but her face was important for a number of reasons. The last thing she wanted was an ugly scar brandished across the middle of her face causing a distraction.

"It suits you."

"Really?"

"Really. It makes you look more rugged, intimidating. Just don't tell them the story of how you got it and you'll be fine."

Kassandra places her hand over her mouth in mocked offense. "Falling over myself doesn't strike fear into your heart? I am offended!"

"You and your fragile ego. You must enjoy the company of men more than you lead on acting like that."

"Now you really offend me. To think, me with a man? It seems so unnatural."

"You always did defy all sound logic or reason. You never were the smart one." Daphnae deadpans, but the small smirk at the end told Kassandra that she was getting teased.

"But yet you loved me anyway."

"That I did."

Kassandra shifts herself to a sitting position, still on the ground where she fell earlier. Brushing off her hands (now stained from the dirt), she leans back against the chest her face became familiarized with and brings her knees up to her chest. "I'm sorry about everything. I had no idea what was about to happen or I don't think I ever would have slayed the last beast."

"I am still glad you did because as painful as it was to watch you leave, I was not ready for death. I would have accepted it as it was Artemis' will, but there was a sense of relief when I knew it wouldn't come to that." 

Kassandra knew Daphnae felt a deep shame over what she just admitted because of just how strong her devotion was to Artemis and the code of the Daughters. It couldn't be easy for her to share her relief over being forced to skirt her duties as their leader. Daphnae was tasked with giving them the best champion and she (and the remaining Daughters) would always know that she wasn't it.

"I just couldn't do it Daphe. I never could've been the leader they deserved and I never would have given up my life to serve a god. I was unworthy of your title from the start."

"I thought for many, many nights as to why she picked you of all people. Why she would pick someone unbelieving of our cause, an outsider who doesn't share in our customs. Why she would refuse me after I had pledged my life..." Daphnae halts her sentence to clear her throat of the buildup of memories. "I had given every part of me to her, to Artemis, and I still was not worthy enough. And I struggled with this, believe me I struggled. How was I supposed to lead when even the goddess had no faith in me? I felt undeserving of the title and I still did until I saw you again, until you told me everything."

"And now what do you believe?"

Daphnae smiles, just a little, in a sign of hopefulness. "I believe that Artemis has sent you to me as the sign I had been praying for. I had begged to know my purpose and here you are."

"What does that mean?" Kassandra asks, still a bit confused as to what Daphnae was implying.

"It means that helping you _is_ my purpose. _Her purpose_. That I was not destined to be in your shadow, but that I was to stand beside you. Artemis has given me these skills and I know now that I need to pass them onto your journey. My purpose is to help yours."

Kassandra shifts a bit uncomfortably at what Daphnae had said. "Wow... I'm, uh, not sure what to say. Are you sure that's right?" 

"I have never been more certain." Daphnae answers quickly with conviction. "If there is a fate that will make us all suffer, I know that's not the will of the gods and that it is my responsibility to aid in whatever way I can."

"I don't doubt your methods, but I just still don't understand how you can help me. I mean, I know how to use a bow, very expertly in fact, and I can track better than anyone I know. I know you and the Daughters are experts as well, but I do not think there is anything you know that I don't."

"I've been thinking about that too and I don't think you're who I am supposed to help."

Kassandra scrunches her face in confusion, agitating her newest blemish. "But didn't you just say you're here to help me? So how does not helping me help me?"

Kassandra was beginning to get a headache as she tried to wrap her mind around it.

"Don't think too hard, I don't think your body can take the strain." Daphnae speaks as she presses her thumb between Kassandra's brows to get her to relax her face. "I don't need to help you directly to help you. I believe your friend, Kyra, is who I am destined to aid."

"Kyra?" Kassandra blurts out in surprise.

"I can see the potential in her, even if her spirit is broken now. I know she is capable of great things and I can tell that she'd follow you to Hades and back so she needs to be prepared for anything. You said it was a clash of many deities, both on opposite sides, and I can see that Artemis desires your success."

"Let me see if I understand you correctly. You want to train Kyra?"

"I do."

"Have you spoken to her about it already? Has she said something to you?"

"I have not as I wanted to speak with you first about it. By giving her this training, she will become greater than she ever knew possible, but with that knowledge comes a responsibility."

"What kind of responsibility?" Kassandra leans forward in intrigue.

"The will and power of Artemis is not one that can be wielded lightly. She will have a responsibility to uphold our values and to accept Artemis as we do."

"Kyra already prays to her so I don't think this will be an issue. She already values the land and the creatures on it, I've seen it first hand myself."

"Is that so? That's wonderful news!" Daphnae exclaims with a full smile. "She should have no issues with our training methods then and she'll be a natural."

"Not that this isn't great and all, but shouldn't you go and ask her first? I mean, since she does sort of have the final say here."

Kassandra did not wish to speak for Kyra on a matter so decisive as this. Taking on this training would not be easy and the expectations would be very high. It would be grueling and physically demanding and, if her state last night was true to form, she's not sure she could even handle it.

"Why don't you tell her the news, it might be easier to take from a friendly face."

Kassandra scoffs out of habit before she even realizes she did it. "Yeah, I don't think friendly defines us right now. We can't even be in the same room with one another without getting into a fight."

"I see. That would explain what brought you to the woods and why you've not asked to have her here."

"I just can't win!" Kassandra huffs out as she kicks out her legs. "I have done everything I could for us, to keep her safe, but she resents me for it!"

"Are you sure you're not just overreacting?"

"She told me herself! That she resented how strong I was and that sh-, that she..." Kassandra feels the tears begin to prick at the corners of her eyes, but she doesn't want to stop. Not now. "She told me she had wished she'd died. That she had prayed for death while we were captive."

"From what you told me, it couldn't have been easy for either of you so I can see having weak thou-."

Kassandra cuts in, not wanting to hear excuses. "No! You don't understand. She wanted to die _because_ of me... because I made it look like I was holding it together, that she was some how inherently weak because she could be broken so easily."

"Kassandra, it's alright now. Just let it out." Daphnae moves forward and takes a seat beside her on the floor, tugging her into as much of a hug as they could manage from their position.

Kassandra loses track of how long they both stay like that, but if Daphnae had anywhere else to be, she never made it known. They just embraced in a solemn silence, each understanding the painful ways of life. Kassandra had never cried as much in her life than she has since she met Kyra. Her emotions were awakened for the first time since she was just a girl and it was frustrating because she had no idea what to do with them. No matter what she tried to do, it never worked like she expected. How ironic it was that she could master everything else in this world, but not love.

As if she was reading her mind, Daphnae breaks the silence with an observation. "You love her, don't you?"

Kassandra tenses up under her touch at the question, but Daphnae makes no move to disentangle them. It was a potentially loaded question and she wasn't sure how she should go about answering this. She did love Daphnae and she knew Daphnae loved her too in their own way, but that her heart belonged to Kyra for now until the end of time.

Sensing her hesitation, Daphnae releases her grip and she allows Kassandra to sit back up, but she doesn't leave her side. "I admit, this was not a conversation I ever wanted to have with you."

"We don't have to talk about it." Kassandra offers as an out. As much as she wanted to tell Daphnae everything, she respected the fact that she may not want to know given their history.

"How did you meet her?"

Kassandra smiles as she remembers their first meeting, the spark she felt then was coursing through her now as she retold their story. "She threw a dagger right next to my head without looking, all while chugging ale."

"Why do I get a sense that you're attracted to deadly women?" Daphnae teases with no shred of animosity in the air between them.

"You're not wrong." Kassandra admits as she recounts her past lovers, present company included.

"So what makes Kyra special? What makes her different?"

"She's so passionate. That was the first thing that caught my eye as we met and built our plan to overtake the former leader. Anything she did was for her people and she wanted them to have the best lives they could. It is why she took the leader position after the dust settled. Nobody could've done for those people like she did."

"She sounds like a wonderful person, very selfless."

"She is! But she doesn't see it and it frustrates me. She feels that it is her responsibility and her duty to provide for them when it isn't! She didn't choose to take control, it got forced on her and she was too nice to say no."

"So she didn't want to lead them?"

"Well, she did, at first, but she's been telling me more and more that she loathes it."

"Why the sudden change?"

"Too much bureaucracy. She isn't able to do much of anything without keeping records and just a whole bunch of busy work. She didn't want to be like Podarkes, the man before her, and she wanted to do it right and that meant she wanted to listen to the people. Now with the war, she finds herself under either Sparta's thumb or Athens and they control what she does because they need the resources."

"That doesn't sound like a good life."

"It isn't, at least I don't think it is. I've never cared much for politics and follow my own path in life, but Kyra is different."

"Hold on," Daphnae interjects, "so she's still their leader, but she's here with you?"

"Pretty much. She stowed away on my ship as I was leaving and by the time I realized she was there, it was too late."

"I can see why you love her. She seems full of life and a woman who takes charge to get what she wants."

"She is all that and more."

Kassandra recounts the intricacies of their past relationship into where they stand now. To her credit, Daphnae continues to be very engaged and attentive, even if she finds herself rambling. Kassandra still looked for signs of discomfort, but she couldn't see anything other than Daphnae caring about her life (and love) genuinely. "...and that's when we had that fight and now I'm here with you."

"There is never a dull moment with you is there, Beast Slayer?"

"There is much to be said about my life, but dull isn't even within the realm of words to describe it."

"Are you going to try to speak to her again today? To Kyra?"

"No." 

Kassandra knows it is perhaps a bit childish, but she wasn't going to be the one who kept apologizing for everything. The more she talked it out, the more she realized that she did nothing wrong and she was tired of feeling bad about it.

Kassandra glances over to take in Daphnae's reaction and it doesn't look favorable (at least she doesn't think it does). Not wanting a lecture, she speaks up first to defend herself. "And before you tell me how I'm acting like a child, there is more to the story than you know. I'm just over being the one who doesn't get to feel bad, the one who isn't hurting. And maybe that makes me a bad person, but I don't care!"

"Are you done or do you want to keep speaking for me?" Daphnae reprimands her. "Because I don't recall ever saying that turn of phrase or even so much as hinting at it."

Kassandra wants to argue, but she doesn't and, instead, clenches her jaw shut.

"What I was going to say was that I agreed with you."

"Wait. You do?" Kassandra questions in surprise.

"From what you've told me, I can see not wanting to be around her or even speaking with her. There are times to be civil and there are times to be petty."

"I will be completely honest, I did not expect that answer."

"I may devote myself to Artemis, but it doesn't make me less human. Sometimes the only way to learn is to send a firm message and, sometimes, silence is the loudest way to get it across. If you deny yourself this, you won't ever be able to fully move past it."

Kassandra absorbs Daphnae's message and she finds herself at peace (of sorts). "Thank you. Thank you for everything. You were never afraid to speak up when I was going off track and I am glad to see that hasn't changed."

"You and I are not as different as we may wish to believe from who we once were."

Kassandra feels more calm than she was before and, with that new sense of tranquility, she realizes she's never once asked Daphnae how she was doing. She was so caught in her own misery that she failed to even give Daphnae the basic courtesy.

"What about you? How has your life been since last we met?"

"I'm afraid it is nothing that can hold a candle to your own adventures."

"It doesn't matter, I still want to know."

Daphnae looks pensive as she considers Kassandra's request. "Very well, but I did warn you that it would be dull."

Daphnae proceeds to tell her about the dwindling numbers of the Daughter's because they were being hunted and kidnapped (by what she now recognizes was the cult). She tells of their efforts to keep their lands and how their credibility as a threat was diminishing.

"I'm sorry about all this. I can't imagine pressure it puts on you."

"I make it work, it also helps that Eliana is aiding with my efforts and she's as charming as you are."

Kassandra chuckles at the comparison. "I'm going to take that as a compliment."

"You should. She is wonderful and has been instrumental in us maintaining what little presence we have left. She also is a gifted healer and is the one who found Kyra and treated her."

"You know, I've not heard you mention any other Daughter by name but her. Do I detect something there?" Kassandra means it more to just tease her, but the blush that Daphnae sports is enough to confirm she was actually correct. "You like her!"

"I would hope so considering she is my partner."

Kassandra feels the words as a punch to the gut, but her desire to see Daphnae happy overrides her desire to keep her (and their past) all to herself. "Look at you! I cannot believe you kept that from me this whole time."

"It wasn't like you were all that forthcoming about Kyra either if I remember correctly."

"That's because Kyra and I aren't together, at least not anymore, but you! You're actually in the relationship here. Has it been long?"

"It has been long enough I suppose. Time passes by too quickly for my taste."

"I know what you mean. There's too much and not enough at the same time." As Kassandra's mind wanders, she is struck by a thought. "But wait, if I'm here, where is she?"

"She is at her hut along with the other healers."

"So you both don't share this?" Kassandra motions around the hut. "Or this?" Patting the bed behind her.

"Of course not. That would be showing favoritism and it is not permitted."

"Wouldn't she already be your favorite if, you know, you're sleeping with her? Like isn't that a criteria?" Saying it out loud was as weird as Kassandra felt it would be, but she was definitely not following.

Kassandra can see Daphnae's posture stiffen with her comment and she feels like she could smack herself for being so insensitive.

"We are not partners in that way, only in a bond." 

"Have you not?" Kassandra doesn't bother to add to her implication because Daphnae's reaction told her all she needed to know.

"No. Not since you."

Kassandra blinks hard in shock and her next set of words come out as more of a stammer than she hoped. "Oh. Oh wow. Wow. Oh wow."

"You've said that already."

Kassandra, embarrassed by her unnecessary silence filler, tries a different approach. "I am just surprised is all. I didn't think it was against your beliefs."

"It isn't. It was just a choice I made and no, before you ask, it wasn't because I was waiting for you."

"Now who sounds presumptuous?"

"Unlike you, I wasn't wrong in my thoughts now was I?"

Kassandra had wanted to catch her on this, but that was exactly what she had been thinking. "No."

"That's what I thought." Daphnae responds smugly, removing some of the awkwardness Kassandra had placed upon them. "I just didn't want to get my heart broken a second time. Losing you was harder than I had anticipated and I didn't want to connect with someone in fear that I would fall in love and it would happen again."

"That is a sad way to live." Kassandra comments, not lost in the hypocrisy of her own words.

"It may be, but it is mine. She also has shown no interest in it so I figured it easier to keep everything as it was instead of messing it up."

Kassandra turns her attention to the door as there seemed to be a commotion brewing just outside. "We really both are a mess, aren't we?" 

Daphnae doesn't give her an answer as the commotion outside grew much louder until clear shouts rang through their hut.

"There is never a day of peace." Daphnae heavily exhales as she stands up to go address the quarrel outside. "You stay put, you need to rest."

"Not on your life." Kassandra grins as she holds her hand out. "Now are you going to help me up or do we want a repeat of last time?"

Daphnae rolls her eyes, but she doesn't argue and grasps a firm hand into her own and pulls her up, holding her for a moment while she adjusts. "Do me a favor. Don't try to get a matching scar on your right side."

"And here I thought you said it suited me?" Kassandra laughs as she takes a few tentative steps with Daphnae at her side, knowing that when the door opened, she would be on her own.

Taking a deep breath, Kassandra widens her stance to help her balance as she nods for Daphnae to open the door. Time would tell what was happening on the other side, but she wasn't going to just sit around anymore, no matter what she was told.


	5. War

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Hope you all continue to be healthy and safe, staying indoors whenever possible. I had intended for this chapter to go a different path, but midway through it I realized that I wasn't quite ready yet for our girls to have a full reunion so I adjusted accordingly. I'm sure you're all anxious for it (and I don't blame you), but it will be worth the wait! 
> 
> Please feel free to comment about anything/everything as I love nothing more than talking about our two favorite women 😊. Enjoy!
> 
> Icon For Hire - War  
> https://youtu.be/MLtYe810RfY

Muffled arguments permeate the air around them and, thankfully, none are the voice that Kassandra recognizes. She would admit that she felt a sense of dread when the commotion became loud enough to interrupt the two of them. How she had hoped it was not Kyra on the other end jeopardizing everything. Kassandra had no idea what she even could have had to fight over, but it wasn't like they were in the most stable positions at present so anything can happen. For all she knew, Kyra was still laying in the bed, allowing her self pity to consume her. As long as Kyra was away from whatever was happening, that's all that mattered.

Emerging into the light of the day, Kassandra winces at its intensity. She had not been outside in a full day and only had the glow of a flame to illuminate the room. The torch was a different kind of light, so to be out where she could feel her skin getting warmer was a nice feeling. After being cooped up in a cell for a week, she was always trying to get out and move around just because she could. Nothing makes you appreciate the small gifts in life than being deprived of them by force. It was not an experience she had ever hoped to relive. As nice as the fresh air was, the shouts of the squabbling women prevent her from truly enjoying the moment.

"What is the meaning of this?" Daphnae barks out in full commander mode. Gone are any signs of vulnerability that she had shared with her. "Answers. Now."

Kassandra will admit that she's not really taken the time to learn anyone's name here but, to her defense, she has been more than preoccupied. With how chaotic life has been lately, getting to know her fellow companions was not high on the list. It also didn't help that she didn't still expect to be here, yet along have almost an open invitation to do as she pleases. This means that the two women before her were complete strangers. Kassandra doesn't recognize their faces, but she hadn't done much socializing so that's not really a surprise.

Both women appear to ignore Daphnae's command and they remain almost nose to nose. One woman appears to be older, perhaps one of the group's scouts while the other one appears a bit younger and is very intricately colored.

"Eliana, Helen, explain yourselves!" Daphnae orders and, only then, do the women look a bit guilty as they lower their heads.

This piques Kassandra's interest as Eliana is a name she *did* know courtesy of ten minutes ago. She had wondered how she'd find out who this woman was, but it looks like nature was taking care of it for her. She skims her gaze over both of them, trying to figure out who was who. Both seem plausible as the choice, but there was a spark to the painted woman that made Kassandra want to place a bet that she'd be Eliana.

"You cannot possibly give these blasphemers a home here. It goes against every vow we've taken." The scout looking woman defends as she puffs up her chest.

"And _I_ told her that you had made your decision and we were to obey them. Your command should not be questioned." The war painted woman refutes.

Oh yeah, that's _got_ to be Eliana.

"I have made my position clear on this as it is the will of Artemis that lead the Beast Slayer back to us." Daphnae makes a stride closer to (Kassandra is assuming) is Helen. "There is more at play than you can even imagine so if you are going to continue to underhand my decisions, we can handle this more formally."

Kassandra doesn't miss the gasps among the rest of the group and she can tell from firsthand experience at just what that challenge was.

"You dare challenge my will so publicly? Have you no honor? Do you wish to challenge me?" Daphnae confronts her and Kassandra watches as the woman immediately backs down and shifts her position to an almost cower.

"No Daphnae, I'm sorry." The woman apologizes to try to avoid the inevitable wrath that's headed her direction. "I did not mean to question your position, only the merit of the will of Artemis."

"Do you not think I know what Artemis' will is? Do you think me a fraud as the voice of our goddess?"

Kassandra almost let out a laugh at just how frightened this woman became in the blink of an eye. Daphnae had a fiery streak if you made the wrong choice (again, firsthand knowledge) and boy did she ever look _furious_.

The woman drops to her knees in front of Daphnae to beg for forgiveness. "Of course not, Daphnae, I spoke out of line. Please accept my deepest apologies and forgive me. I know not of what I speak." 

"Leave my sight." Daphnae snarls through gritted teeth and the woman all but stumbles as she takes off.

"And as for you Eliana," Daphnae looks to the war painted woman, "I expect you to not be taken for a fool. I can defend my own honor, I do not need your help."

"Ouch." Kassandra let's slip by accident, feeling bad for Eliana and accidentally vocalizing it. Kassandra only realized she _actually_ said it out loud though when all eyes fell upon hers, including Daphnae's.

"Oh fuck." Kassandra thinks to herself as she quickly tries to maneuver out from this awkwardness. She absolutely did _not_ want to look like she was challenging Daphnae and she did _not_ want to get into this argument. She had to do something to make it look involuntary. It wasn't an honest move, but she knew she could do it and get away with it, after all, she was injured.

Kassandra decides to play up her injury just a bit and clutches her forehead in a faux agony. Her face scrunches up (causing some actual pain) and Kassandra adds in a sharp inhale for added effect. She cracks open only one eye so she can gauge the reaction. She can see Daphnae's features soften up immediately as her fury gets replaced with a note of genuine concern. Kassandra feels a bit guilty about being dishonest, but she was probably better off to look as weak as possible. Her only goal right now was to not be deemed a threat so if she had to eat some pride to make it so, she would. 

"Sorry, sorry." Kassandra offers up an insincere apology as she winces forward _just_ a little bit for a bit more effect.

It seemed to have worked because anything else Daphnae was going to scold her for was long forgotten and she, instead, shooed everyone away. Eliana heads off elsewhere (probably back to her hut) and Daphnae works her way back to where she was standing.

"Are you alright? Do you feel dizzy? Do you need to lay down?" Daphnae unloads what feels like fifty questions on her all at once. 

"I'm fine, I promise. I just moved too sharply for my own good."

"I knew you should have stayed inside, I should have insisted on it." Daphnae scolds herself as she gives Kassandra a more thorough once over.

"You know as well as I do that you can't make me do anything I don't want to. I am better, you have my word." This was the first truth Kassandra had shared in this entire conversation.

Daphnae reveres her with suspicion, but she let's the matter drop. "If you say so, but I do think you should rest."

Kassandra takes a precursory look around them and tunes Daphnae out as it was just unnecessary worry. She doesn't know why she felt like looking around, but something told her she needed to. She sweeps from right to left as she registers hut after hut until she spots a familiar face. There Kyra was, standing and talking to another of the Daughters. No wait, this wasn't just any Daughter, this was Eliana. From the look of it, they both appeared quite friendly and Kassandra couldn't help but feel the sting. It looked like they were sharing a moment about something and Kyra looked, well, happy. It was the first time Kassandra had seen Kyra smile since they were captured and it wasn't because of her.

Kassandra hadn't intended on staring, but after witnessing Kyra laugh, she couldn't look away. She wanted, no, she _needed_ to know what they were talking. What was Eliana able to say to her to make her look like herself? 

Kassandra could feel her heart beating more intensely, the sound of it pulsing in her ears. Her breathing felt a bit more labored than it usually did, but Kassandra couldn't take her eyes away from them. Rationally, she knew it was just an innocent conversation, but she was anything but at the moment. Jealousy was making its way to the surface and she was defenseless against it.

Daphnae snapped her fingers in her line of sight. "Hey. Where did you go just now?" 

Kassandra doesn't give a response and, instead, keeps her focus rooted to Kyra and Eliana. She didn't know what she was looking for exactly, but she would know if she found it. Perhaps she was looking for a validation of how she was feeling, to prove she had a reason to be concerned. Nothing stood out physically as there was space between them and she'd be able to see if they were touching in anyway, but something just had to be off... and that's when she heard it.

It wasn't very loud, but she could hear the sound of laughter coming and it only took her a moment to realize who it was coming from.

_Kyra_.

Her head tilted back in laughter, a large smile painting her face. It was a vision Kassandra loved to see and it was almost always directed at her, but that wasn't the case this time. A feeling of irrational betrayal flashed over Kassandra's face at the comfortable nature these two women shared. They couldn't have known each other for more than a few days, but they already appeared to be quite comfortable with one another.

" _Kassandra_." Daphnae says to her with a bit more force, snapping her from her focus. 

The glazed look she was wearing evaporates, but it didn't do much to quell the hollowed feeling she had everywhere else. Kassandra knew Daphnae was still waiting for a response, but she didn't feel like talking. Turning her back to the cause of her distress, she makes back for Daphnae's hut knowing full well that she wouldn't be walking back alone. Her body felt heavy and she knew it was only a matter of time before she wouldn't be able to stand on her own but she didn't want to stay there any longer. Even though Daphnae's hut wasn't reasonably far, each step taken took more energy than she had anticipated. She maybe got four steps on her own before her left leg buckled, causing her to drop to the ground.

"Kassandra!" Daphnae shouts out as she rushes to her knees beside where Kassandra laid. "Kassandra, speak to me."

"Tsssss." Kassandra hisses due to the impact as it jostled her right arm enough that her sling came loose, dropping it haphazardly. She goes to cradle it, but she can't move much because of the angle she landed at.

"Come on, I'm going to get you out of here and back to bed. Just hold on."

That was all the warning she got before Daphnae lifted her off the ground until they were standing upright. She was almost deadweight so it would've been quite impressive if she hadn't been so preoccupied. She had to force her legs to move, but she knew Daphnae was doing most of the work here. When she had wanted to look weak earlier, this was definitely _not_ what she had envisioned. Kassandra knew she had drawn attention to herself as two other Daughters came to their aid (which Daphnae refused) until Kassandra heard her name called out from behind her.

"Kassandra!"

She knew it was Kyra calling out to her, but she didn't want anything to do with her. She still wasn't over their argument and she definitely wasn't in the mood for talking after what she just saw.

"Don't let her in." Kassandra asks in a plead and (thankfully) Daphnae understands just what she's asking.

"You two," Daphnae addresses the two women who came to help, "watch the door as nobody is to enter without my permission, is that clear?"

"Yes Daphnae." They both answer in unison as they halt their motions to turn around. 

Kassandra and Daphnae clear the door and just as it is about to shut, Kassandra glances back to see a confused looking Kyra being barred entry. Their eyes only meet for a moment, but Kassandra doesn't give her a shred of emotion. Her face hardens and she looks on with a scowl as the door closes between them, sending (what she hopes) is a strong message.

Daphnae deposits her back on her bed and Kassandra has to fight the urge to just slump over. Her arm needed to be placed back in a sling for it to heal as she was so over being so handicapped. 

"You lied to me. You said you were fine, but you're not. Why didn't you say something before this happened?"

Kassandra couldn't tell if she was being lectured or not by the tone, but she was leaning more towards yes. "I didn't know it was coming. It happened all of a sudden."

"Do you know what happened? Was it something you did? I should have paid better attention."

"You were busy and this isn't your fault. I just wasn't as ready as I thought."

"I get that, but what I don't understand is why you asked me to block Kyra from entering. Has something happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Well if you want me to keep her from you, I need to know why." Daphnae presses her for more and she knows she's going to have to share at least something (but it doesn't mean she wants to).

"It's stupid." Kassandra murmurs and Daphnae almost snorts. She shoots her a glare, but it doesn't wipe the smirk off her face.

"I'm sorry, you just caught me off guard." Daphnae raises her hands in a mock surrender. "I just didn't expect it."

"Well it isn't funny, at least not to me so if you're just going to laugh at me, I'm going to just lay down."

"Not before I fix your arm up. You'll be lucky if it ever heals at this rate."

"I just need a couple weeks."

"That's incredibly optimistic of you."

"I am a fast healer, it is a specialty of mine." Kassandra doesn't elaborate, but Daphnae seems to get the hint.

"Another gift?"

"Mhm."

"Well fast healer or not, I don't think you'll get better if you don't rest. I think even someone as mighty as yourself needs to recover. Now sit still and I'll be right back."

Daphnae heads to the same area she did last time and returns with a much larger piece of fabric. "This won't be the best, but it will hold it in place."

"Thanks Daphe, I really appreciate it."

Daphnae wraps her up without saying a word, but Kassandra knows better. Daphnae would get answers out of her sooner or later so she may as well be forthcoming about it. 

"It was Kyra." Kassandra shares as Daphnae finishes up. "I saw her with Eliana and she looked so happy and she _laughed_. She hasn't looked like that in almost a month and now she seems so carefree with someone else. I didn't like it and I started feeling bad after that."

"Eliana?" Daphnae pauses. "What was she doing?"

"Nothing but talking, but they looked so comfortable together. Kyra barely knows her and they're sharing a laugh."

"Eliana is a sweet girl, too much for her own good sometimes. I am sure it was harmless as she would not betray our pledge to one another."

"You've clearly never met Kyra." Kassandra makes the offhand comment, but realizes too late at how bad that sounded.

"Should I be concerned?" Daphnae asks her. "Truthfully?"

Kassandra is a little ashamed that her first instinct wasn't to say no. She knew Kyra loved her, but that didn't mean that her heart couldn't change its mind. Maybe it already had... "No, no I don't think so."

"I will take your word Beast Slayer and I pray that you are right." Daphnae runs her hand down the fabric to ensure it was smooth before she pulls back. "All done. Now you should get some sleep, you've had quite the day."

"It's barely started!" Kassandra gives a bit of a whine before she slumps on her back.

"And you've already almost broken your arm. I'd say that was enough excitement."

"I am going to be bored if I have to stay put you know. I may get restless." Kassandra teases as she feels her lids growing heavier, the urge to close her eyes becoming harder to ignore.

"I will have Eliana come and keep you company as I have much to do. She has many stories and, by her being here, she's away from Kyra."

Kassandra knows Daphnae added that last bit in for her, but she had a good point. At least if Eliana was here, she wasn't getting chummy with Kyra. It would also give her a chance to see who this woman was. "You know just what I want to hear."

"It comes with the territory and I trust her with you. It hasn't been easy for us, but we are making it work."

"This sounds like this isn't just doing me a favor."

"Perhaps it isn't."

Daphnae doesn't explain any further, but Kassandra knows well enough to let it go. She would wait and see just who Eliana was to know how big of a threat she is.

The day came and went until it was just after dawn the next day. Daphnae had arrived first thing with Eliana in tow and after some brief introductions, the two women were left alone.

"I've heard much about you Beast Slayer." Eliana speaks, her voice so sweet and soft. A stark contrast to what she had imagined. "Daphnae has praised your skills."

Not liking the nickname from anyone else, Kassandra is quick to correct her. "It's just Kassandra actually and I'm surprised she's spoken of me."

Eliana doesn't appear to be slighted at her correction as she keeps the conversation moving. "She had told me of you before you ever came back. As much as I could see it hurting her to retell old memories, she always had respect for what you could do. She said you had slayed all the legendary beasts."

Kassandra hadn't expected Daphnae to speak of her ever, yet alone talk about her in such high regard. "I- uh, yes, yes I did."

"I tried once, you know."

"Did you?" Kassandra's eyebrows raise in intrigue. "Where?"

"Euboea. I had heard the tales and that was the closest one from here. I had wanted to prove myself worthy of being a warrior."

"How'd that go for you?"

"I failed, obviously. Almost died too if not for sheer luck. Another animal had roamed into its territory so the attention shifted away from me enough to make my retreat. It was a defeat unlike any other I've ever experienced."

"How long ago did you try it?"

"Three years. I was trying to impress someone, but it didn't work."

Kassandra finds it hard to not want to speak with Eliana. She appears to be so kind, she can see how Kyra got taken so easily. Her smile was genuine when she spoke and her demeanor wasn't the least bit threatening, even for a warrior.

"I'm sorry it didn't work out." Kassandra offers in a mild condolence.

"That is life, but I couldn't dwell on my failures or I knew I would never be worthy of her."

"I understand that feeling, more than I wish to."

"Can we be honest with one another, Kassandra?" Eliana asks and Kassandra is a bit taken back by her boldness. Perhaps there was more than she showed and she wouldn't lie, she was very curious as to where this could go.

Not wanting to be on her back anymore, she slowly works herself so that she's sitting up on the bed. Looking into Eliana's eyes, she couldn't see anything unusual which made her request all the more odd. That said, her curiosity would have the better of her. "I wouldn't want to be anything but." 

"The woman I was trying to impress? It was Daphnae."

Kassandra shifts a bit uncomfortably at this as she knows what happened next. Eliana would not have Daphnae, but she would. Kassandra had her in ways nobody else had, in ways Eliana still hadn't. It got her to think that this may not be such a friendly conversation after all.

"She had become the leader and, as custom, would be required to have a companion. I had always dreamed of it being me, but then you showed up."

Kassandra takes a hard swallow, not liking where this was headed at all now. She didn't dare speak, but it didn't appear that Eliana was done anyway.

"You came in and was everything I wasn't. You slayed beast after beast and I could see how much she loved you. Never before had she looked so full of life than when she was with you."

"Eliana, I-" Kassandra attempts to defend herself, but is cut off.

"I'm not finished." Eliana chimes in, her voice still calm considering the topic they had stumbled into. Kassandra just closes her mouth, allowing her to continue. "You had made her so happy, but I could also see a sadness beneath the surface. It wasn't until you brought her the final pelt that I understood why. She knew she was destined to die and it would be by your hand, someone she loved. I was standing behind her when the two of you spoke and I had hated you. I hated you for taking her heart from me and I hated that you would be why she wouldn't be here anymore. But then you did something unheard of, you denied her challenge. You begged her to not make you do it and as you walked away, I could see how much you loved her too. You refused to be our champion and while the Daughters were outraged, I couldn't find it in my heart to hate you anymore. You were the _only_ reason I still had her in my life and I was selfishly grateful."

Kassandra had to take an active effort to not let her jaw drop to the floor with such a confession. She had anticipated Eliana despising her from the initial start of the conversation, she had braced for it even, but that isn't what she got.

"You had destroyed her heart in so many ways, but she was still alive. The challenge would be unlikely to ever happen again and I knew she'd be safe. I offered her my company and tried to be the friend she needed. When it came time for her to make her decision, she selected me and it was everything I had ever wanted. We would be together until the end, but I always knew that she'd never love me the way I loved her."

"I wouldn't say that." Kassandra offers some support. "We have spoken of you and I can tell she does care for you."

"Caring for me and loving me isn't quite the same now is it?"

"I guess it isn't and I'm not sure how much of this you'll believe, but I do think she loves you."

A flash of hope cascades across Eliana's face and Kassandra hopes she hadn't misread the conversation she and Daphnae had because that would make what she wants to say so much worse.

"I think it's best if I take my leave as you must be tired from a day full of conversation." Eliana changes the subject abruptly which Kassandra knew was her fault for what she had just said. "I'll be back tomorrow."

Kassandra watches her leave in a rush and she slumps back on the bed and scolds herself. "Nice going malaka, she was your only entertainment." Now she was stuck with her own company and that wasn't very pleasant as of late. She was so bored of just doing nothing, it wasn't in her nature. She felt strong enough to channel Ikaros and she spent the rest of her day soaring through the skies while her body lay resting. It wasn't breaking any rules so she didn't see the harm. 

Kassandra had lost track of the days while she remained cooped up. Eliana had indeed returned the following morning, but her mood was not what it once was and she wasn't much for conversation. Kassandra had considered apologizing, but she didn't actually feel sorry for bringing it up. If Eliana was fit to pay her no mind, she'd find ways to entertain herself. She counted the sticks she saw in the roof about ten times before that became dull and she was about to shift to flying with Ikaros when Eliana decides to do what she was asked here for.

"Yesterday, what you said, did you mean it?"

"That she loved you?" Kassandra inquires for clarification as they discussed quite the variety.

"Yes."

Kassandra shifts back up to sitting (as she hated conversations on uneven grounds) and opted to tell her everything she had tried to yesterday. "As you've said, she loved me once and it ended badly, but I believe she wants to love again. She speaks so highly of you to me and I can see why from just our brief conversation. You don't pull any punches and you're not afraid to just jump right into a delicate topic. I believe she is afraid."

"Afraid? Daphnae isn't afraid of anything." Eliana speaks so confidently that she may have believed her if she didn't know better.

"She is afraid of getting her heart hurt again because of what I did to it and I don't blame her. I know she values you and, even if it isn't the same kind of love she and I shared, it will be _your_ kind of love that you build together."

"It sounds so promising when you say it like that, but I'm afraid she doesn't see me as any more than an obligation. But I can live with that if it means she's still here, with me."

Kassandra feels bad for her, she really does, but it sounded absolutely pathetic. "I'm going to be honest with you now, alright?" Eliana nods her head in an understanding. "Good because I think you're a fool."

"Excuse me?"

"Do you really expect her to take you and your love seriously when you're unwilling to fight for it? You said you've been a friend to her, but that's not what you're supposed to be. For better or worse, you are her person now and it is time for you to step up and show her." 

"But how can I do that? She doesn't want much to do with me."

"Make her."

"But she is our leader?"

"And you are her partner. I don't mean make a public show, but show her that you're still fighting for her, even when she won't." Kassandra's speech was inspiring, but the irony of her words were lost upon her. "Don't let her go."

"I-, you're right, you're so right." Eliana looks at her like she had cleared a fog within her mind. "Would you help me?"

"Me?!" Kassandra blurts out in shock. "I'm not sure if I'm the right person to help with this."

Eliana looks at her with a bit of confusion. "Is it because of Kyra?" Kassandra's unexpected reaction made it all the more obvious that she was right on the nose. "Because if it is, I think you should know she isn't mad at you."

"Of course you would know this." Kassandra scoffs. "Did she tell you this or is it just an assumption of yours?"

"A hunch."

"Yeah, that's what I thought. Kyra told me she hated me so that's as clear as it needs to be, but I don't want to talk about her."

"I think you should talk to her, she seems sad."

"She didn't look so sad yesterday, seems the two of you were having a laugh. It only looks like she's sad when I'm around. I don't even know why I'm telling you this."

"Hints of light in a dark cave doesn't mean you're not still in a cave. It just allows for a moment of comfort."

"Gods, you sound just like Daphnae." Kassandra shakes her head in an attempt to dispel the thought. "I am so tired of everyone telling me what other people feel. What about me? Do I not matter?" Her anger refueling itself once more as yet another person wants to tell her what she should feel.

"Kassandra, I didn't mean-" Eliana tries to recover, but it was too little, too late. 

She was tired of the excuses, tired of nobody being on her side. "Why does it matter if someone else is sad if maybe I'm sad too? Why should I be the one to always keep going? Why am _I_ the one who needs to concede? Do I not deserve the same grace everyone is willing to give Kyra?" Kassandra can feel herself getting worked up even though she knew Eliana hadn't meant any harm by her comment. "I think you should go. I don't feel like company anymore today." 

Eliana doesn't protest and takes her exit with only the comment that she'll be back tomorrow. Once Kassandra's left again to her lonesome, she decides she's not going to just relax. She needed to get better so she could not be looked after like a child. She felt improved so it was time she worked on the basics. Her gear was all here with her and she wasn't going to let them deteriorate because she was unable to use them. 

She didn't want to pilfer through Daphnae's things so she'd need to enlist the help of the women guarding her door. She needed to get her legs used to moving so she took a few small laps around the room to make sure there wouldn't be a repeat of last time. She did not want to fall again, yet alone in front of complete strangers. She didn't push it, but she felt good, strong even. All this prep for just a small conversation, but she was a meticulous individual. 

Kassandra makes her way out the door and walks over to her guard. She was going to be as polite as possible since she didn't envy her job either. "Hey, excuse me. Would you happen to have a honing stone or know where I could get one? I'm going a bit stir crazy and I want to keep busy."

"They're in our armory, if you want I can take you to get one."

"Yes! Please, that would be great." She hadn't expected it to be that easy, but she would take it as a small victory. If she could focus her mind on this, she would feel better. It was something she did all the time and it gave her a shred of normalcy in her newly adjusted life. It also gave her another chance to stretch her legs since their armory was across the village.

The pace was very slow (most likely on purpose), but she didn't care as it was just nice to be outside the hut. She had gone from confine to confine almost immediately and she was one who valued her freedom most of all so it was hard to adjust to. She also was grateful for the pace because she didn't have to exert much energy and could keep up without having to push it. Kassandra took in the others as they went about finishing their day as night looked to be upon them soon. She hadn't ever seen their inner workings before so it was interesting to watch. 

They make it to a heavily guarded hut where her escort looks to her for her attention. "I'm sorry, but outsiders are not permitted. You'll have to wait here for me to get what you need."

"That is no problem, I understand." Kassandra nods as she steps to the side while the woman stepped inside. She wouldn't lie, she was indeed curious as to what kind of arsenal they had here, but she would not ever push to find out. As long as she got what she wanted, she didn't much care.

Kassandra would blame her lack of awareness for what followed on her being tired, but the truth was that she had let her guard down and paid no mind to anyone. She had discarded all her training because she became complacent. This meant that she was unaware she had company beside her until they spoke.

"How are you doing?"

Kassandra flinches in surprise at Kyra's voice. She hadn't even noticed her presence, yet alone their close proximity until she spoke. Even though a few days had passed since they last talked, she still didn't want to pretend like everything was fine between them and that _that_ conversation didn't happen.

"Fine." She sticks with a simple answer, one that's not at all truthful.

"What happened?"

Kassandra doesn't shift how she's standing nor does she face anything but forward, but she does avert her eyes to Kyra's direction and can see she's looking at her face.

"It was an accident."

A long silence passes between them and the tension building is almost suffocating. It felt like time was slowing down to a halt. Kassandra had lost track of how many times she looked for that woman to come back out only to be met with the hardened stares of the Daughters on guard. The urge to fidget was strong.

"Kassandra, please. Can you look at me?" 

Kassandra tenses her jaw as Kyra's voice was not her usual, it was defeated, saddened. She had to keep her face from showing the broken cracks she felt within herself. She would remain strong, even if it killed her inside. Thankfully, this was the moment the woman made her reappearance so Kassandra didn't have to deliberate.

"I have to go." Kassandra offers a rushed excuse and she motions to the woman to lead them back to Daphnae's. "Take care." Kassandra offers in parting as she turns her back to Kyra and begins to walk away.

"Don't leave me like this."

This causes her to hesitate and she almost trips over herself, a gaffe she narrowly avoided. Kyra's words strike her deeply, but she doesn't have an answer (at least not one Kyra will like).

"I can't leave something that's already gone." Kassandra offers nothing further and continues her walk. She focuses on her steps and keeps pressing forward, leaving Kyra to process what she's just said on her own. 

The rest of the night passes by in a blur as Kassandra sharpens about everything she could get her hands on. The next day, the routine runs the same with Eliana there bright and early to keep her company in the chair across from the bed. They start off in an awkward silence which has been their custom the past two days, but Kassandra doesn't feel like walking on shells around her so she puts out an ultimatum. 

"Look, the problem here is your love life, not mine. Now if you can't respect that, I'm just going to ask you to leave now and save us both the time."

"Does this mean you'll help me?" Eliana looks at her with eagerness like they weren't just having the most awkward of moments.

"Yeah, fine, I'll help. But don't you dare go telling anyone, understand? Not _anyone_."

"It'll be our secret."

Kassandra rolls her eyes as just how enthused Eliana became, makes her almost wish she could feel like that again. Being so excited was childish and unrealistic, but time will have to be the teacher for that lesson.

"What should I do first?"

"I think you're going to have to wait on that one as, like it or not, she's going to be focused on me until I'm better. It shouldn't be more than a day or two now before I'm ready to get back out there."

"That makes sense. Where will you stay once you're ready?"

"I haven't thought that far ahead."

"We have a scouting party headed south so there will be a free hut for you both to stay in for a little while."

Kassandra's ears perk up. "What do you mean _both_?"

"Kyra can't stay where she is forever as that's the medical area. We need to keep it clear for emergencies."

"I don't want to be around her right now. "

"Well what do you propose I tell her then? She won't have anywhere else to go. We've got minimal space as it is and, as much as Daphnae caters to you, she can only do so much. The others will notice and it will cause a problem."

"She can take the hut, I'll find somewhere else."

"You and I both know Daphnae wouldn't approve. You're going to have to deal with this sooner than later."

"I'll talk to Daphe, make her see reason. How hard can it be?"

"You've clearly forgotten how strong willed she is. We have certain rules in place for a reason and if you're as important as she says, you're going to have to follow the rules."

"Kyra is the one she wants to help, not me, so I don't see why I need to even involve myself."

"Do you really care so little about what happens?" Eliana's tone finally finding some bite. "If Daphnae is willing to stick her neck out for you, you should at least have the decency to show her wishes some respect. She has taken you in against the will of the Daughters so if you even care for her a little, you'll do as she asks. I don't care if you don't want to deal with Kyra, but you will if that is what she desires if you've got even a shred of decency."

Kassandra keeps thinking that nothing said will ever stun her speechless, but she's been wrong every time so far. She had been wholly unprepared for this entire conversation as it has taken so many twists that she fears she might get dizzy. The woman before her now was not the same one she was introduced to only a few days ago.

"I won't cause problems." Kassandra assures a bit sheepishly.

"Perfect. Now make sure you get a good nights rest tonight because I've gotten her to agree to let you leave for some fresh air. Under my supervision of course."

Kassandra couldn't understand why she would willingly get her the approval to move about, but she was grateful for it. There was still one thing just nagging at her. "You really want to watch over me? Do you honestly not have anything better to do than follow me around?"

"It doesn't sound as bad as you're making it out and I kind of like your company."

"You do? Really?"

"You're not so bad I suppose." A playful smile graces Eliana's lips.

"Yeah, well I guess you're not the worst company to have either."

"Be careful now or I'd say you consider us to be friends." Eliana winks at her as she settles further into the chair she was sitting in.

"Don't push it." Kassandra pushes back in a teasing manner. They've come a long way in such a short time, but "friends" is a term she uses for only those deserving and Eliana had yet to prove herself deserving.

The idle chat that followed was nice and she did find she enjoyed Eliana in general. They traded stories as the day slipped away and it wasn't until Daphnae's return did she even realize how late it had gotten. The three of them spoke casually about their days, both she and Eliana keeping rather mum on the conversation of that morning, but they did share their tales of that afternoon. Kassandra took this opportunity to observe them both better in a more private setting and was pleased to see Daphnae looking so carefree. Eliana would be good for her if only she'd let her in.

That's the thing about hearts, they're so powerful but so frail. It can take blow after blow and continue to beat, but hurt it in a deeper level and it just about shuts down. It was a feeling she found herself all too familiar with and she would just have to keep hope that there was something left when this was all over.


	6. Crawling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another quick update for you all! Out of every chapter I've ever written, this by far came the fastest. I think it took about 7 hours from yesterday to today to get all of this done instead of bursts throughout a whole week. My inspiration overload is your gain though and just in time for the weekend! I do want to note quickly that this chapter is a lot darker than anything I've done in this story thus far so fair warning.
> 
> That said, I hope you all love it and I look forward to your comments!
> 
> Linkin Park - Crawling  
> https://youtu.be/Gd9OhYroLN0

The darkness had become something she was used to by now, it seemed more her friend than anything else. It was always there for her in some way and, in a sick sense, it brought with it a level of comfort. Nothing in the world made sense anymore and she was tired of struggling through it. What even was the point anymore? Why couldn't she just close her eyes and just cease existing if it meant some semblance of peace? Neither day nor night mattered when she was powerless, none of it was significant to her life anymore. She was no longer in control, stripped of everything she valued above all else. There were no rules and no lines that couldn't be crossed and it could only end with annihilation. She was but a mere pawn in a game far too complicated to comprehend and she was at their mercy. 

"My na- -s Eliana a-d I- here to res- you."

The words came to her just before she blacked out, but it mattered not. She couldn't make out just what was being said so, to her, it could've been just about anything. She would be forced to do whatever was asked of her when she woke up so she tried to stay out of her conscious mind if at all possible. As dark as her nightmares could be, she found it more appealing than real life (or at least what she thought was real). She had become far too familiar with her fears and, in a way, it helped her gain some control back. Seeing the same scenario replaying in her mind again and again forced her to confront it. There was nowhere she could run so the only other alternative was to stand and fight it. 

But she was tired, she was _so_ tired. Even though she "sleeps," she never does. Always waking up more tired than before, always fighting her own body just to focus. It comes to a point where she doesn't want to try anymore, she just let's whatever comes for her run its course. She prays that this will be the time she's released, that this will be the moment she's freed. The whispers that call to her are ever so tempting because as much as she wants out of these shackles that the gods have placed on her, she's still afraid. A small part of her fears for what she doesn't know. 

These voices were new to her, soft and sweet. They didn't speak horrific verses, but ones of wistful hope she'd long abandoned. It would repeat itself, the same phrases. 

"Please get up."

"Stay with me."

"Be strong."

There was never anything else that followed them, but they were spoken to her like the voice cared. She would hear the words when her mind went too deep within itself and it kept her from slipping too far away. It was the only thing that kept her from the point of no return. She found herself drawn to them like moths to a flame. Whenever she heard them, she'd now try to find out where they came from and would search and search to no avail, but she could feel herself getting closer each time. Just when she thought she'd be able to uncover just who (or what) was behind it, the floor from underneath her would always drop her down into a dark pit. 

It was filled with the faces of everyone she left behind, of anyone she's ever cared about. They would grasp their mangled hands on any part of her body they could get ahold of and she would have to climb her way back out. Stepping on the rest of their bodies to claw her way up as she tried to not look. She could _feel_ them digging into her skin and could feel the pain as their nails tugged away at her flesh. She would swallow her agony as tears flowed freely down her cheeks as she dug her fingers into the dirt wall. She always made it out, but there always was a piece of her that got left behind in some way. Maybe it was more of her mind as it descended into this madness or maybe it was something more, all she knew was that she would never be the same again.

As soon as she dragged herself up, she rolled over onto her back and took a few calming breaths before the cycle would repeat itself. Soon she would hear the voice say one of the three phrases and she would go searching for it, but this time was different. The voice came, but the message was not the same. 

"You need to fight it, I need you to wake up."

Fight it? Well that's what she was doing. What more could she possibly do? "What do you want from me?!" She yells out to the empty void around her. "What do you want?!"

"I can see you want to wake up." The voice speaks to her, encouraging her to push forward.

"I don't know if I can." She admits in a choked sob. "I don't think I can do it."

"You can do this." It echoes in the air surrounding her, infiltrating every inch of her body. 

She can feel a strength manifesting itself within her chest and she feels the urge to stand up. A new life surges within her as she knows this is her last chance. She _has_ to find out what is calling her. She brushes herself off and wipes her hands as free of the caked on dirt as she could and she walks forward. The pathway on the ground illuminates beneath her feet as she walks into the darkness and she can see a door off in the distance. The light the ground gives is enough to give her a small glimpse as to what is around her and she can see the same faces she's met in the pit. They look as of they've been dead for a long time, their flesh partially decaying, but unlike in the pit, they make no move for her when she takes a step.

It was an unusual find, but she picked up that the figures wouldn't move closer to her when she walked fast enough, but if she was too slow and the darkness overtook the room, they would advance towards her. She noticed this as she almost tripped and only caught herself to the right of the path she'd been following. As she regained her footing, the footsteps around her began and she could hear them getting closer. She scrambled to run forward and the footsteps continued to encroach on her until she veered left and the path lit up once again. The noise of their boots ceased and her pace slowed as she tried to figure it all out. After a few tests, she established the correct pacing and she only sped up once she noticed the voice was getting louder.

The light beneath her began to get brighter and the voice sounded much less like a whisper and more of a person who was right in front of her. It was the push she needed as she broke into a full sprint, her feet slamming into the ground below her. Her lungs began to burn and her breathing became ragged, but she was _so close_. Now was not the time to stop as the lights became almost too bright and the voice became a yell.

"Wake up!"

She knows she's reaching her limit and her body was not going to last much longer, but something about all of this told her that she wouldn't fall down the pit again. That on the other side of the door she could never reach was something that could save her. It had to be. Willing up every ounce of power she had left, she runs full speed into the door, knocking it off its hinges. 

She lands face down on the ground, hard, with the door splintered and cracked underneath her body. The wind is knocked from her and she lays there for a moment as her lungs struggle to keep breathing. As she lifts her head up to get a glimpse of her surroundings, she winces. The light around her becomes blinding, so intense that she cannot keep her eyes open, but she can hear the voice back again as a whisper.

"I need you to wake up."

"But I can't see? How am I supposed to find you?" She asks as her hand shields her eyes from the glare in a failed attempt to get a look at where she was.

"You can do it."

What could she do? The darkness she had forgotten about began to creep its way back into her mind and she knew her time was almost up. Whatever she needed to do, she had to do it now. Using her tired arms, she pushes herself up off the door with her eyes squeezed shut and stands tall. She could feel the heat the light emitted and she was beginning to feel the chill on her back that came from the darkness. She had broken down the door that separated the two and now both would merge, causing a battle that had no winners. Taking an uncalculated risk, she runs towards the heat of the light.

She could feel the cold getting more intense and the heat dwindling so she tries to maneuver herself so that she follows where the heat is strongest. She had no idea what obstacles lay haphazardly around her, but she couldn't take the time to worry when there was so much at stake. She found a rhythm and (more importantly) a pattern to her direction. She kept up the pace, even though her body wanted to give in on her. The heat began to take over her until the chill of the dark was almost snuffed out.

With a final sentence, she felt a reason to live for the first time. "You're not alone, you're safe."

She jolts awake, sitting up at such a speed that it made her head rush, but not before it collided with something very hard.

"Ow, _fuck_." Both she and a stranger's voice in unison.

She brings her hand to cradle her temple as her head begins to throb from the pain of the impact and cracks open an eye to see just what she hit.

 _A woman_.

It had been a long time since she saw another female and it was a sight for sore eyes. The woman before her was intricately painted in red from her face down to her legs with no specific pattern. What this symbolized, she had not a clue, but she didn't feel the sheer panic she usually felt when in the comfort of strangers. Releasing her hand, she drops it to her lap as she stares intently on this woman before her.

"Who are you?" She asks hoarsely, her voice dry from a lack of water.

"I'm Eliana, I am a scout here for my camp." The voice the same as she recalled from before, the one from her nightmare.

"How?" She asks baffled as she slowly began to realize she was no longer tied up at the ruins. She was, instead, nestled in a bed with her hands free from any bindings. She has no memory of how she got here and she had no idea just how she managed to get out.

"I found you." Eliana shrugs as she rubs her forehead, a bump would be soon to follow for the both of them with how fast they collided heads. "You were tied up by a group of masked men and I happened upon you as we were raiding their base for any supplies we could. I knew you were different as you had none of their markings, but I was afraid you were too far gone to ever recover. I'm happy that wasn't the case though, what's your name anyway?"

"Kyra, I'm Kyra." She introduces herself, still very confused as to what happened.

"It is nice to meet you Kyra." Eliana says with a warm tone and a genuine smile. "You gave me quite a scare and quite the headache."

Kyra tilts her head away out of embarrassment. "I'm sorry about that."

Eliana only laughs at her, letting her know she wasn't angry about what happened. "You sure did a number on me though, it'll be sure to bruise by tomorrow. It looked like you were having night terrors. You were thrashing about that I was afraid you'd get hurt if I didn't try to wake you."

"But-," Kyra mumbles as she's trying to get her thoughts together, "how am I _here_? I don't remember anything."

Eliana looks at her with a slight confusion until it clicks with just what Kyra meant. "Oh, well I carried you out over my shoulder. There was a gap in the wooden posts next to you that I was able to get us through. The climb down wasn't easy, but I managed to not drop you, well, at least not very hard."

"Thank you?" Kyra gives a questioning nod of gratitude.

"You landed on the grass so you shouldn't even feel it." Eliana attests, but little does she know that she's already battered and bruised beneath what is visible.

"I'm sure what I'm feeling isn't from you, don't worry." Kyra assures. "I was beaten long before you got ahold of me."

"I don't mean to pry, but how did you end up there?" Eliana asks in intrigue. "I don't mean this with any offense, but you don't look like you're from around here."

"I'm not, I'm very far from home. I'm from Mykonos."

"Mykonos? Wow, that is quite the distance! What brought you to Chios?"

Kyra freezes. "Chios? As in the island beneath Sappho's Lesbos?"

"That'd be the one."

"I wasn't here by choice," Kyra gulps as she feels a tremor beginning to take hold, her hands beginning to shake, "I was kidnapped and the ship I was held hostage on sank and..." Kyra's mind flashes back to Kassandra getting stabbed and kicked overboard and she can feel her shaking getting worse.

"Shh, hey, you don't have to tell me anymore." Eliana reaches her hand forward to take Kyra's within her own. "You're safe now."

"I just-," Kyra speaks with a trembling voice, "I wasn't alone. I was taken _with_ someone, but I watched them die."

"Oh Kyra, I'm so sorry." Eliana looks at her with compassion and a friendly warmth she's been devoid of for weeks. "Did you know them well?"

"Kassandra." The name tastes bittersweet on her tongue. It tastes of all the moments they shared and all of those that she'd never get to have. "Her name was Kassandra. She is, _was,_ the love of my life."

"We don't have to speak about this if you don't want to. I don't want to dredge up any painful memories for you."

"It's ok, I don't have anyone else to talk to about it and I'd like to if you don't mind?" Kyra offers up the "out" for Eliana, but she did seem genuinely interested in what she had to say so she took the silence as permission to continue. "I don't even think I've accepted her death yet. She is... _was,_ so special and a part of me still expects her to find me. She was stabbed and kicked overboard in a storm and left to die at sea. It is foolish of me to hold out hope, but she has survived so much more and always walked away from it. I guess I just am still hoping for her to defy the odds just one more time."

"She sounded like quite the woman."

"Boy was she ever." Kyra smiles as her fondest memories of Kassandra flash in her mind. "She was a misthios, but she was a kind woman. She was so strong, always, and she was just _so_ stubborn. She was the air I breathed and she made me a better person."

"That sounds like true love to me."

"It was, in its own way. We were far from perfect and had more downs than ups, but she was my person. She got me in ways nobody else ever had or ever will and she loved me how she could."

By this point, tears had began falling silently down her face as she shared the most important person in her life to a complete stranger. She didn't know this woman at all, but she felt safe for the first time in a long time. Kyra still hadn't come to terms with what had happened to Kassandra, but living in this denial wasn't hurting anyone but herself. 

Switching subjects, Eliana looks to see how Kyra is faring health wise. "Don't take this the wrong way, but you look a bit rough."

Kyra let's out a chuckle at her bluntness. "And here I thought I was a vision."

"It's just that you look like you've just been lost in the woods for a week and then dumped over a cliff." Eliana doesn't seem to be judging her for it, instead it sounds like a mere observation. "When was the last time you ate?"

"I have no idea how long I was captured for and I refused to eat any of their food and they stopped bringing it. It was at least a week if not more."

"A week?!" Eliana exclaims in shock. "You stay right there and I'm going to get you some food."

Eliana was up and out of whatever place they were in and this allowed Kyra the opportunity to survey just where she was. The design of whatever room she was in was a bit more primitive than she was used to. It was made of sticks and thatch and tied together by some rope and creative weaving. There were what looked like medical supplies scattered on a table and she could see a bunch of healing materials scattered around. She had to be in some sort of healer hut, but Eliana is the only voice she remembers. Eliana was a scout if she remembered correctly so that would mean someone else was taking care of her.

On cue, Eliana returns with a tray full of food and a skin of water and Kyra's stomach let's out a pained growl. As soon as Eliana sets it down in front of her, she loses all self control. She grabs for the food and inhales it, barely taking the time to chew as her hunger hadn't been satiated for what felt like an eternity. Food has never tasted as good as it did now and she could barely taste it at all. The water was drunk in large gulps to help the food pass down faster so she could continue to indulge. She would usually be ashamed of such behavior, but she was well beyond that now. 

"Wow," Eliana reacts in surprise by the fervor she consumed the food. "I guess it is safe to say you were hungry. You may want to slow down or you'll get sick."

Kyra, taking a pause in her mass consumption, realizes that she's right. As delicious as all this was, she would regret it later if she continued. She probably would already in just a few hours but she could mitigate the risk of getting worse. "You're right, I wasn't thinking."

Eliana doesn't look at her with any judgment nor does she look on her with pity. It was refreshing to feel so at eased with someone she'd just met. 

"I can't even begin to imagine what you've been through, but I know from experience the result of overindulgence. It isn't pleasant when healthy, yet alone someone in your more... _fragile_ state."

"How bad do I look?" Kyra had not seen a mirror in a long time and she could only imagine what a sight she must be. She watches as Eliana looks over her and she can tell she's conflicted on just how to say it so she reassures she wants the truth. "Be honest."

Eliana looks away for just a moment before she returns her gaze. "Please forgive me if anything I say offends you, but you look really, _really_ rough. Your hair is completely disheveled, your face is covered in bruising of both new and old wounds, your eyes look hollow and are encompassed by dark circles, your arms look like you've fallen down a mountain and hit every rock on the way down."

Kyra smiles at the harsh sincerity of Eliana's words. "That sounded brutally honest, thank you. I am sure I look like a walking corpse by this time."

"Pretty much, yeah." Eliana agrees. "It is why I tried to wake you up. I knew if you could get up just once that I'd be able to save you."

"You already have, in more ways than you know." Kyra allows the last part to drop to a whisper, but Eliana doesn't pry any further.

"I didn't want to impede while you were sleeping, but I think you have more injuries than I can see from the surface. Would you mind if I took a look?"

"I thought you were a scout?"

"I am, but I have learned over the years how to tend to myself if I get injured." A look of realization passes over Eliana's face. "What am I thinking? Of course you would prefer an actual healer, forgive me."

"No!" Kyra blurts out. "No, that's not what I meant. I just am surprised you're so well versed."

"It comes with living the life I do. The wilderness isn't kind and we protect our lands and the creatures in it, but not all are so willing to be safeguarded."

"That is a noble cause."

"We do it all in Artemis' name as she is our goddess above all else."

"I too pray to Artemis, we had a small altar for her not far from where I used to live and I would spend countless hours there before a hunt."

"I am glad you have such a reverence for her, it will make your life here much easier while you recover."

This reminds Kyra of something she desperately needs. "I hate to take advantage of your kind hospitality, but is there some place I could take a bath? I've been in unsavory conditions for far too long."

"It is no trouble at all." Eliana smiles at her as she extends out her hand. "Let me help you up and I'll take you to where we bathe."

Kyra takes her hand and notices how rough they were compared to Kassandra's. Her heart aches for the reality that she would never again feel her hands, but she couldn't think about that right now or she'd break down. Once she has some privacy she promises herself a moment.

Eliana takes her outside and Kyra looks around at the village before her. There were women everywhere, some painted and some not, all working on various things, but not a trace of men.

"Forgive me for my lack of knowledge about your culture, but I have noticed that your home doesn't appear to have men."

"We do not. Men are forbidden here."

"Forbidden?" Kyra is taken back by such a proclamation. "How did you manage that?"

"We are the Daughter's of Artemis and we've all devoted our live to serving her will. There is no room for men here so they are not permitted."

"I have so many questions." Kyra admits as her mind swirls with dozens.

"Perhaps in time I will be able to answer them for you, but for now, we've arrived." Eliana points to a small waterfall. "It is different from what you're used to I'm sure, but a standing bath is much more efficient at getting clean."

"And I'm just supposed to wash while everyone walks by? I'm not ashamed of my body, but I have to say that it seems more intimate than I'd prefer it."

"We have no need for modesty here because we're all women and we all look more or less the same. I can see how it makes you uncomfortable though so I will stand guard to give you some privacy."

"That is very kind of you." Kyra smiles genuinely at just how accommodating Eliana has been to her so far.

"I will also fetch new clothes for you to wear as yours have seen better days. I don't even think a deep clean would be able to save them."

"Your kindness, I don't know if I will ever be able to repay it." Kyra had no drachmae any more and she had no means to survive if not for Eliana's generosity.

"There is nothing to repay." Eliana responds almost immediately. "It is the right thing to do and now I'm sure more than ever that Artemis guided me to you, to save you. Any thanks should go to her."

"I will give her my proper thanks once I am able, you have my word."

"Perfect, now it will be a little cold, the water that is, so don't be surprised. It is something you get used to."

"As long as it gets all this," Kyra motions down her body, "clean, I could not care its temperature."

"I will be just above you so don't hesitate to call out for me if you need anything. Just let me know when you're done and I'll bring you some clothes."

"I will keep that in mind, thank you Eliana, truly."

With that, Kyra takes a few steps to the base of the waterfall and disrobes herself of her disgusting garbs. Some pieces of her clothing are stuck to her skin and she winces a bit when she has to tug it free. Whether it was dirt, dried blood, or a mix of both, it was disgusting and the sound it emitted made her cringe. She got tempted to just get in the water as is, but she knew she would never be fully clean until she shed these reminders. They may just look like clothes, but they're so much more than that now. They're a reminder of everything she's had to face and a reminder of the pain she's felt. She needed out of these clothes and she needed out now.

Tugging against her skin, she finally is able to be free of their constraints. Now they were not holding her hostage anymore, she was no longer a captive. She tosses them haphazardly out of her sight as she takes a tentative step in the water. Eliana was right, this was _cold_. The jolt of the chill sent her back to a dark place, a part she's been actively repressing. She had barely made it off that ship alive and the temperature reminded her of being back in the sea that night. It wasn't a place she's allowed herself to go and it wasn't a place she would let herself go now. She could do many things, but she couldn't process the fact that she lived and Kassandra didn't. 

She had promised herself that she would give herself the time, but it didn't feel like the right time just yet. She was not alone and she knew that if she started, she would be heard. She would need to find someplace where she could be alone, _truly_ alone. For now, all she had to do was focus on cleaning herself up so she could get bandaged up. Taking longer strides, she ignore her body tensing until she's just a mere inch from the spray. She can feel a light mist hit the front of her face and body and when she closed her eyes, she could pretend she was back on the shores of Mykonos. Committing the final step forward, Kyra allows nature to purify her.

At first, she doesn't move and allows the natural fall of the water wash away every bad memory that haunted her. She tried to keep her mind focused on something happy, but it was like climbing up a mountain with your hands tied together. It was just so easy to slip back into the sea of negativity she had become accustomed to, to let the darkness within her snuff out any remaining light... but she wouldn't, she couldn't. Opening her eyes, Kyra feels the sting of the water as it hits her face. It kept her in the present and it allowed her to do the most basic of functions. She began to scrub at her skin until it turned red out of rawness. Her fingers clawed at every inch of her body to rid it of anything that would remind her of the past. She wasn't going to walk away until there was not a single blemish showing.

For however long it actually took, Eliana never commented on it as she stood guard as promised. It wasn't until her lips began to chatter that she was satisfied she got herself clean. Taking a few shaky steps back, she could feel the light breeze as it danced around her body and she became colder than she had in the water. With the water came a certain degree of numbness, but the wind allowed no such mercy. It winded its way from her ankles to the back of her neck, sending goosebumps all over her body. She was more exposed than she had ever been and nature was reminding her of that. She would always be at the mercy of the elements. She needed to get something warm on before she got sick so she called for Eliana.

"I'm done now." Kyra speaks in a chattered voice, unable to stop herself from shaking from the cold.

"I'm going to come down there now, I won't look." Eliana assures her and Kyra watches as she tries to make her way down with a hand covering her eyes.

"It's ok, I don't mind if you look." Which was surprisingly true given that she hadn't known this woman for more than a handful of hours.

"Thank you, it makes this trek down a bit less dangerous." Eliana smiles at her as she keeps her eyes trained on Kyra's face. "Here, these are for you."

Kyra takes the clothes from her and looks at them a bit quizzically. It wasn't that she's never seen outfits such as this, but it was a lot more skin than she was used to showing. Still, it was better than the alternative so she'd put this on and take comfort in the fact that they were new and carried nothing but a kind gesture. It fit surprisingly well considering and it was only a bit loose in certain areas. All in all, she felt good being in this.

"What do you think?" She asks Eliana, watching as she shifts her gaze down her body.

"I say that this is a look that suits you. All you're missing now is the markings like mine and you'd be a true Daughter." Eliana says in pride as she gives her another once over. "I do love this on you."

"It is a bit more revealing than I'm used to, but it makes sense considering just what you need to do."

"You'll adjust to it in no time, I have a feeling you'd be a real natural with us."

Kyra appreciates the sincere welcoming, but she hasn't thought about anything long term, she's barely even thought about now. She wouldn't go making promises because she didn't want to break them and she just didn't know what she wanted to do. There was a lot to consider and she didn't want to do it now. She only just got a moment to breathe, she didn't need to bring herself back to the brink of suffocation.

"That's very kind of you to say, but I am not sure what my future holds. There is too much I've not thought about and I don't think I'm ready."

Eliana looks at her like she felt guilty for having spoken the idea. "I never meant to put any pressure on you like that. I just want you to know that you could have a home here if you so choose. The leader of this place is my partner and she trusts my judgment. I do think you would be a worthy asset for us."

"You may not like what you see once you get to know me. Everyone I've ever cared about has either almost died or actually died. I am not someone you want around."

"I'm willing to take that risk." Eliana speaks with no hesitation. "I don't think you mean for any harm to come to someone, I can tell you're a good person by just looking at you. Now come, let's get you back inside so I can patch you up."

Kyra follows Eliana's lead and they make their way back into the only place Kyra is familiar with.

"I'm going to be moving your clothes around to get a better look at you. Are you alright with that?"

"Yes, you are free to do what you want."

Eliana removes the shoulder strap that's keeping up the lower half of her outfit and it dangles down by the tips of her fingers. She had a top that covered her breasts, but her midsection was completely exposed. It reminded her of just how Kassandra had looked before all this.

"You've got a lot of bruising and this is probably going to sting a bit if I'm right."

Kyra doesn't have the chance to ask what she means before Eliana presses against her ribs and she feels a sharper pain.

"Ouch." Kyra hisses out, still feeling the pressure from where Eliana had pressed even though her fingers were no longer there.

"You've injured your ribs, but since you've not complained about pain when breathing, they probably aren't broken."

"How do you know so much? For not being trained in medicine, you know specifics pretty well."

"My mater was a healer and I used to watch her take care of injured Daughters. As much as she wanted me to take after her, my heart desired more and so I became a scout."

"Did you ever regret not doing what you were good at? Did you ever feel guilty?" Kyra had thought as much for herself in her current position. Should she do what she's expected to do or should she take a chance and try to live for what she loves?

"I did at first, but I think it was because it meant a lot to my mater. She knew I had what it took and I had years more experience than anyone else. I felt that I was letting her down, but I remembered what she always told me as a girl. 'Follow your heart and Artemis will guide you to the right path.' So I knew what I had to do and she learned to accept it too."

"I find myself in that situation now with who I was, who I _am_ versus who I want to be."

"Look within yourself and Artemis will be there. She always gives an answer, you just have to be looking for one."

"I'm afraid of what I might see." Kyra admits as she tilts her head down to watch as Eliana wraps a long cloth around her ribcage. "I feel so selfish with everything I've been doing when I have other responsibilities."

"We are all inherently selfish, but it matters not if what you're doing is for a greater purpose. To live for yourself is just as important as living for others." Eliana steps back to admire her handiwork. "There we go, all set. You've had a long day so it is best if you get some sleep. I'll come back in a few hours to check on you.

"Thank you." Kyra offers up with a small smile. "I think I need some sleep too."

Eliana gives her a small wave before she leaves, allowing Kyra to be completely alone for the first time. She finds herself replaying what Eliana had just spoken to her, about living for herself, and she can't help but find it ironic. She shouldn't live for herself as it as only ever caused others pain. Kassandra had given her life for her and she would not sully her sacrifice by taking the cowards way out, but it didn't stop her from wishing it had been different. Kassandra should be the one here now, not her. Kassandra was the one the world needed, not her. Kassandra was the better person and she should be the one cleaning up, not her. Kassandra should be giving the world life, she was the special one. She was the savior and Kyra... well, Kyra was nothing. 

She couldn't scale walls like an animal. She couldn't take down men three times her size with only a broken spear. She couldn't speak to animals or channel into them. She couldn't do _anything_. But here she was, alive and breathing while someone as selfless as Kassandra wasn't. She was given a life she didn't deserve. This whole thing was her fault and she would never be able to forgive herself for it. Kassandra died because of a poor decision she made, a stupid one at that, and she would never be able to atone for it. She had no choice but to accept it as she was powerless to change anything, but it would haunt her until the day she died. Not a day would go by that she wouldn't regret waking up and she would have to tackle each day with a forced will. This was going to be her new life now and it was one that she didn't want to live.


	7. Supposed To Be

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back!!!
> 
> This break hadn't originally been intended for this long (as I was working on my other story too), but it got to the point where I was a bit stuck on what kind of story I wanted to tell here. Nothing I was writing had felt right until last night when I gave it another whirl and found my flow again. We are still focused on Kyra for now (as she has quite a bit to catch up on) so hopefully you all feel this chapter was worth the wait. 
> 
> I appreciate you all for your patience and I look forward to your comments 🧡.
> 
> Icon For Hire - Supposed To Be  
> https://youtu.be/hO9qTXrXoe8

The dripping of water gets Kyra's attention as it hits her squarely in the forehead, drip after steady drip. Her face scrunches up in reaction to the continual impact and she notes how cold the water feels. It must be raining out and there's a leak in the roof above her. It wasn't ideal, but it wasn't the worst thing and she could just move around to go back to sleep. Moving her hand to wipe the water from her face, she feels a resistance.

"What the?" Kyra questions as she tries to move her arm again, but to no avail. 

Maybe she had just got it tangled in something as she slept? Maybe her rib wrappings got loosened and it tied up her hand in the mess? Yeah, that had to be it. Only when she tried to move her other arm, it was stuck too. The water felt like it was dripping on her faster now and she couldn't open up her eyes without getting hit by it, but she _needed_ to see. She decided to angle her head in such a way that it would only hit her temple and, when she opened her eyes, she couldn't believe what she saw. 

" _No._ " She mutters in disbelief to herself as her eyes go wide. " _No, no, no, no, no._ " Her head shakes left to right in a flat out denial as she realizes where she is. She had found herself alone in the belly of the beast once more. She had found herself back on the ship that ruined her life. There was no mistaking the look as it was a sight she saw for countless days for anything but what it was. She was laying on the ground of the cell she had escaped from and panic oozed through her. From the musty stench to the rusted bars and rotted floorboards, this was her prison. A fear unlike any other flared within her chest and her breathing became ragged. 

"You're not here. This isn't real." A mantra she would chant under her breath in a futile attempt to calm herself down. "You need to wake up."

Try as she might, her thrashing was in vain as her body lay plastered to the floor, unwilling to give up its hold on her. The dripping picked up until it became a steady stream against her face, forcing her to turn her head to keep it from her eyes.

"I knew you would come back." A male voice speaks to her from outside the cell. "They always come back. Did you miss me? I sure missed you."

"You bastard!" Kyra growls as the voice was none other than the man she deemed as "The Dog" all that time ago. "Let me out of here!"

"But where would the fun in that be?" He responds in a bit of a chuckle. "You just got here so I have to be the proper host and give you a welcome for someone of your... stature."

"Don't you touch me!" Kyra thrashes harder to try to get some movement, _something_ to get her out of here.

"I wouldn't dream of it. In fact, I brought something special just for you." His voice sounded excited, too excited, which spelt bad news for her. "Want to see it?"

"What I want is for you to fuck off!" Kyra snaps. "I want you to leave and never return!"

"You hurt my feelings..." The Dog speaks in a mocked sympathy. "And here I was with a gift just for _you_. It'd be a shame for it to go to waste." 

The distinctive sound of chains clatter to the floor, scraping at the wood beneath as he got closer, forcing an audible gasp from her throat. "That's what I was hoping you'd say. You see? I just knew you'd enjoy it."

"Fuck. You." Kyra spits out as she hears the jingling of keys followed by the *click* of the lock disengaging.

"Now, now, that's not a very kind thing to say to me now, is it? You're being awfully rude to someone who holds your life in his hands."

"Just kill me and get on with it." Kyra challenges, but the threat falls a bit short considering how she's positioned.

"Kill you?" He responds in surprise. "Oh no, no, no, there won't be any of that here, but you may wish you were by the end of this. What I've got in store for you is something, much, much worse than death."

"You're going to beat me while I lay on the ground? Some man you are."

"That would be unkind of me, how about we change that?"

Kyra can feel the floor beneath her begin to rattle before she's propelled to a standing position, lifted by the air itself. She had been moved to the center of the cell, but she still couldn't move.

"You dare not have me free to fight back? You are a coward!" Kyra barks and spits directly in his face with her eyes showing a mix of anger and terror. "You are pathetic."

The Dog has a wicked grin spreading across his face as he uses the back of his hand to wipe his face clean. "Looks like you do have some bite to you after all. I think it is time we shave down those fangs of yours."

"Why don't you come closer and say that?" Kyra challenges as her nostrils flare in sheer anger. "I'll show you just what you're dealing with." Her chin extended in an air of defiance, a complete counter to the way she feels within herself. She just hopes that she's able to look completely in control when she's anything but.

"Such talk from such a scrawny girl. It is a shame I'll have to shut that pretty mouth of yours up for good."

"I'd like to see you try." She snarls in a last ditch effort to call his bluff.

"Very well then, as you wish." The Dog moves until they're both face to face, a crazed look evident in every aspect of his reflection. 

Kyra's arms get forcibly yanked above her head, held by something that she couldn't see, and she finds herself dangling in midair. 

"This is much better." He smiles smugly as he takes a step back to admire his handiwork. "Now all that's left is some color."

"Color?" Kyra repeats in confusion, but it doesn't last long before he winds up a swing and whips the chain into her stomach. It leaves behind an intense shade of red and she understood now what he had meant. He was going to beat her until she changed colors. She could feel the pain intensifying as he kept his aim towards her ribs, but she refused to scream out. She would not give him the satisfaction in this life or the next. He had already stolen so much from her, she wouldn't let him have this gratification. 

"Something bite your tongue? Where are all your words now?" He mocks as he circles around her body like a predator, the chain being swirled by his side fast enough to emit a low whirling sound. "Guess I'll have to work harder."

Another blow to her ribs and Kyra isn't sure what to do. She knew this wasn't real, but the pain was, it was so _real_. She knew she had escaped from here, from _him_ , and this was just her mind playing a nasty trick on her. The issue was that she didn't know how to move on from this point. She didn't know how to make it stop and move on. She's had this nightmare before, with The Dog torturing her, but she could never wake up fast enough. It always ended right as his final blow struck her.

"Ok Kyra, think." She thinks as she forces herself to withdraw her mind in an attempt to distance herself. "You need to wake up! Please..."

It was becoming a second nature for her to retreat away deep within her mind to shield away from the pain, but it never solved the problem. She wasn't sure she even _would_ recover and this just became her way to cope with realities she was too afraid to face. These demons that haunted her were relentless, they showed her no mercy or sympathies. They fed off her self destructive tendencies and became everything she's been too afraid to look in the eyes. Her moments of weakness projected before her again and again to mock her. They materialized into anything and everything, no line was uncrossable and no person was off limits. 

"You're going to regret this." The Dog speaks with conviction behind her, his breath ghosting the back of her neck.

Kyra tenses her body for the next blow but is only met with a burst of cold air across her body. The chill was one that could be felt deep within her bones and she had never felt anything like it. After a few moments of dreaded anticipation, she finds an ounce of courage to open her eyes to see what had happened. When she does muster the courage, she's not quite sure what to make of it. The entire boat was covered in a thin layer of ice and, to her surprise, so was The Dog. He was in front of her, but he was frozen solid, his motions having been paused in mid swing. His crazed look still gleamed as he reveled in inflicting pain, but there was no signs of life anymore within him. Kyra took in this dramatic change of scenery and wondered what this all meant.

She had never dreamt of anything like this before and she's never _not_ died... but here she was. A heavy wind gust blows snow in her face and it snaps her back into focus. She still _was_ here for whatever reason and the sooner she figured it out, the sooner she could wake up. Her body tenses even harder than when she was expecting the attack, but unlike before, her body moved. Whatever force that had been holding her hostage had been replaced with shackles, shackles encased in the same ice that confined The Dog. A few tentative tugs showed her how fragile this ice had made her restraints and it would only be a matter of time before she was able to break free. 

Kyra didn't bother to take it one hand at a time and she, instead, opted to just jerk her body forward over and over. Her back arched hard enough to spasm if she wasn't careful, but she could hear the cracking of the ice as it began to shatter away so she knew she couldn't stop. Her body began to ache and not even the chill of the ice would help numb it out. Her ribs were pleading with her to stop at every flailed motion, but she ignored it the best she could and she pressed on. Each tug got her closer to her freedom and that was worth any pain she had to endure. The distinctive sound of brittle metal shattering rings through her ears as she falls face first into the unforgiving floor beneath her.

She had succeeded.

Kyra doesn't stay on the ground for long, just enough to catch her breath before she rises back up to her feet. Her limbs felt heavier than usual, but (with some good effort) she managed to get back upright. She didn't know what specifically attributed to the sensation, but nothing was off the table at this point. Was it the sleep deprivation? The loss of blood? The cold weather? All of the above? It didn't matter and thinking about it would waste precious time and she didn't have that. There were only two things she needed right now and that was an escape and revenge.

Seeing The Dog frozen before her, defenseless, ignited a spark within her. It answered a call she's long desired and, she wouldn't lie, she's prayed for a moment like this and she was not going to waste such an opportunity. Dream or not, the satisfaction of seeing his demise was _everything_ she could've hoped for. There would be no other chance for her to take back some of the autonomy he had stolen from her so she needed to make it count. Placing her foot squarely into his chest (whatever was center mass at least), she sends his frozen body crashing into iced floorboards. The _crunch_ of the human icicle becoming dozens of smaller chunks was music to her ears and she watched as they scattered haphazardly around the room. Her eyes transfixed at the show before her and it was more gratifying than she anticipated.

"I hope your soul is tormented for all eternity and that you never know a moment of peace for the rest of time." It was something she had never wished upon another person before, but this man was an exception to all her rules. To curse someone in death was not something to be taken lightly, but she had no regrets. A man filled with such evil did not deserve her kindness and she would never be able to forgive him for what he stole from her. Maybe in time she would learn to move on from the damage he's caused her, but that was not now. _Now_ she would enjoy this moment to its fullest as she walked slowly to the ladder leading to the deck.

It took a few good pushes before the hatch released itself, but she was soon up above deck and was surrounded by a small army of frozen cultists. Her memory of their faces were blurred as everything happened so fast, but there was no mistaking what this scene was representing. This was the moment her world gained a permanent dark cloud that hovered over every step she took. This was the only moment she never wanted to relive. Passing around the bodies as best she could, she makes a beeline for where she knew Kassandra was.

The ice made it difficult to stand and she's accidentally knocked down four cultists already in her haste to find her. Everything she touched was ice, everything she _saw_ was ice. The ship never moved an inch because it too was encased by the harrowing freeze and even the sky above her was of a reflective sheen. 

"This isn't real!" Kyra shouts out, but nobody can hear her. They remain frozen in time, completely rigid as she wanders through the bodies looking for Kassandra.

By the time she makes it to where she last saw her, she's greeted with the daunting reality that she wasn't there. She knew Kassandra was standing in this very spot so it didn't make any sense that she wasn't here now.

"This doesn't make sense. What am I supposed to do?" Kyra shouts out in frustration, echoing off the ice the same way it did if she were in a cave.

That's when she feels it.

The hairs on the back of her neck stand on end and she knows she's no longer alone. Not a single sound had been made, but she just _knows_ what this is. Her training as a rebel had taught her to be weary of her surroundings and to trust her instincts and they told her something was about to happen. She didn't have a weapon to defend herself with so she would have to hope that hand to hand would suffice. The longer her back remained to this mystery presence, the more nervous she got. It wouldn't matter how long she waited now because, who ever this was, had the advantage. She turns slowly with her fists clenched at her sides, ready to react at even the hint of movement, but it never comes. What does is so much worse...

"Kassandra?!" Kyra allows herself to relish the fact that not only had Kassandra found her, but that she wasn't frozen like the rest of them. "But how?"

Kyra reaches forward to hold Kassandra's hand, but the moment her palm touches her flesh, everything begins to unwind. The warm skin beneath her turns cold and as she pulls her hand away from the drastic shift in temperature, she catches just why it happened. The spot her palm met Kassandra's hand had turned to ice, just like every other person but her on this ship.

"Kyra."

_No._

"Kyra..."

_No, no, no, no...._

Kyra watches helplessly as the ice completely overtakes Kassandra's hand as it continues up her arm.

"Help me, Kyra, I need you."

"What do I do?! What do I do?!" Kyra panics as she tries to stop the spread, but as Kyra touches her arm, the spot she connects with shifts to ice immediately. "I'm only making it worse!" Any spot that Kyra touches on her instantly freezes and she has no way to slow it down.

"It hurts." Kassandra's voice cracks, fear evident in her tone and in her face.

Kyra had only ever seen Kassandra this afraid once before and she never wanted to see it again. Her heart was tearing itself all over again to be so close yet so far once more, it was devastating. There was nothing she could've done then and there is nothing she can do now. She can only watch as the woman she loves gets frozen alive.

The ice has now spread down her hips and there are a few small strands making their way up towards her neck. "I'm so scared," Kassandra whispers, her vulnerability at its peak, "I don't want to die."

Kyra tries to not cry, but she can feel the tears that do manage to work their way out freeze almost instantly halfway down her face. She knew what the results of this would be, she knew Kassandra knew it too, but maybe she could make a difference in a small way. All she had left were her words and they were her only chance at a semblance of closure, her last chance to tell Kassandra everything she felt.

"You're my hero, Kassandra, my savior." Kyra's voice also cracks as the emotional intensity of her words are far too strong for her to fight. "I love you so much, please know that." 

A small smile passes Kassandra's pale blue lips before her face begins to contort in pain. "Tssss."

Kyra can see the ice begin to constrict her throat and it was only a matter of seconds before she would be completely encased. She would give anything to trade places with her, but she couldn't. She is as useless as she's ever been and it is going to kill the only person she's ever loved.

"I'm so sorry Kassandra, this is all my fault." Kyra cries out as she drops to her knees, hugging the already blocked waist of her love. "I ruined your life and I will spend every moment of everyday regretting the choices I've made. You deserved more than me, more than this... and I am so sorry."

Kyra doesn't bother to look up, she couldn't bear it. She can hear the final gasp Kassandra takes before the deathly quiet encompasses her like a familiar friend. She can't see her face, not like this. If she looked now, this would be the face she saw in every memory. All of their beautiful times together would be tainted and marred with a gruesome sight and, it was selfish, but if she was going to be stuck living in this world, she needed Kassandra to hold onto. _Her_ Kassandra, not this monstrous concoction her mind had whipped up to punish her. There would be no going back from it and she couldn't allow Kassandra to be tainted.

Hugging her waist tightly, Kyra hears the cracking of the ice, but she doesn't stop. The Kassandra she knew was dead and whatever this was, it wasn't her. It was just a fever dream at best and she refused to let it ruin the only good thing she had left in life. Her memory of Kassandra was the only thing keeping her on the right side of sanity so she had to do what she could to keep it preserved. Her eyes clenching shut, Kyra gives the final squeeze, shattering her to pieces.

Kyra shoots up in a cold sweat, her chest heaving as her eyes try to register her surroundings, but she can only see a blurred figure.

"Hey, you're alright. I've got you." Eliana soothes her, taking her hand and rubbing circles on her back. "It was just a bad dream."

Kyra doesn't remember falling asleep, but she apparently did as she wakes up to see Eliana in the room with her.

"I came to wish you a good morning, but it doesn't seem so good now." Eliana greets her with a saddened smile.

"Morning?" Kyra questions skeptically, wiping the traces of sleep from her face. "Isn't it a bit too late for that?"

"Well no, considering you've slept over half a day."

"I've what?!"

"I came to check on you last night and you were out cold and you didn't seem to be as active as you had been the night before so I just let you sleep since you desperately needed it. Did you get any restful sleep by any chance?"

"I don't know." Kyra comments as she adjusts her position, taking note of the pain in her ribs. "I don't feel like I've slept that long and I still feel kind of tired I suppose, but I don't think I could fall back asleep."

"That happens to me sometimes too," Eliana shares, "when I have a bad night that is. I'm used to waking up very early and working long days so the times I can't sleep always makes me feel worse."

"I don't remember the last time I slept for more than an hour or two for the past couple weeks. It is hard to keep track of time when you're locked in the bottom of a ship."

"You don't have to worry about that now. You're free to do as you please so long as you don't hurt anyone."

"I wouldn't dream of it."

"Good. Now I brought you some food, don't eat it all at once." Eliana teases and Kyra smiles. "I have to go out for a good portion of the day, but I will stop back in here when I get back. I have asked a friend of mine to check in on you periodically so if you need anything, just ask and she can help you."

"That's very kind and considerate of you, I appreciate that."

"You've also agitated your ribs from the looks of it." Eliana comments as she observes the blueish hue of her skin. "You need to be more careful or this could become a bigger issue."

"I am not normally this active, I don't know why last night was different."

"You just need a couple good nights and you'll be good as new. Well, physically speaking anyway." Eliana quickly corrects herself. "There's much to see here once you're feeling up to it."

"I look forward to it, it gives me something worth while to focus on."

"Before I go, is there anything you need?"

Kyra knows she means something like food or an extra pillow, but the urge to ask her to stay here is on the tip of her tongue. She would be able to rest easier having someone she trusts nearby. With her gone, she's not sure what will happen and she's afraid of herself. It is sad that she's become so dependent so fast, but she cannot help it. Safety has quickly become her top priority and she felt safe when she was near Eliana. Nobody else showed her the same kindness, the same genuine honesty. Having someone else here for her did her no good, but she knew it was too selfish of a request so she let's it die before it passes her lips.

"I should be fine," Kyra lies, "I'm just going to stay here and rest some more to make up for my bad night."

"That's a very good idea." Eliana says as she begins to walk out the door. "I'll see you tonight."

Eliana makes a swift exit and Kyra is left alone once more, stuck with only her own self to keep her company.

"It was just a nightmare." Kyra whispers to herself as she gingerly lays back down. "It wasn't real."

Kyra repeats this to herself for hours as the day shifts into night. Her eyes never closing for more than a quick blink, even though her body is begging her for proper rest. She'd give it to herself if she knew how to, but it was not something she had a solution to. This was a losing battle as she knew it was only a matter of time before the urge to sleep became too much. It happened to her every night, having to work herself to pure exhaustion before she'd go to sleep.

She felt a jostling on her arm and could hear someone speaking to her, but she couldn't catch it all, only the final sentence. 

"I need you to wake up."

"Hmm?" She hums out as she stretches a little bit from having kept the same position for several hours.

"Kyra, hey, it's me." Kassandra's voice echoes in her ear clear as day.

_It couldn't be... she has to be dreaming_

"Open your eyes for me, love."

"Kassandra? Kassandra." She repeats the name a few times before it truly registers. Her voice sounded so real, almost like she was in the room with her. Not even in her dreams could she replicate it so close. It always sounded so hollow, but this... this wasn't anything that she was used to hearing. Not only that, but she could feel a presence in the room with her. Had she fallen asleep again? Was this another trick of the mind? There was only one way to find out. Her eyes spring wide open, prepared for the next round of torture her mind wants to impose on her, and she bolts up faster than she probably should have.

"I'm so glad you're ok, I've been looking for you." Kassandra looks at her in almost a relieving manner.

This isn't possible. She couldn't possibly be awake right now because that would mean that not only was Kassandra alive, but that she was _actually_ here with her. Nothing she'd ever imagined before had been this lifelike and nothing had ever been so detailed. She could still see she was in the hut Eliana had brought her too, but Kassandra was still _here_. This didn't make sense.

"Hey, hey, it's me. I'm right here. I found you." 

She couldn't fall for the trap, she just couldn't. Whatever this was, they were trying to lure into a false sense of security and she was not going to go without a fight.

"No! You're not real! Go away!" She screams at this manifestation of Kassandra and she rushes to move herself as far away from this _thing_ as possible.

"Kyra, please, keep your voice down or they'll hear us." This person begs of her. "I am alive and I've been looking for you."

_Oh I bet you have._

"You're covered in blood... I saw you die! You're just my imagination punishing me." Kyra fights the inner turmoil raging within her. She cannot let down her guard for this imposter, but it looked so real. It looked like _her_ Kassandra. There was so much blood though so it couldn't possibly be anything but her mind projecting, but there was still a hint of doubt that kept nagging at her. It was nearly impossible, but what if she was telling the truth? What if she really was real?

"My love, I didn't die! I don't know how I did it, but I survived both getting stabbed and getting kicked over the ship into the water. I washed up on a shore a couple days ago and I've been tracking you ever since I regained consciousness."

"Why do you look like that then?" Kyra cautiously asks, her fright evident in her expression. "You being in the water would have washed the blood off you, but you're so covered in it that I could hardly tell who you were."

"I fought a bear." Kassandra (or whatever is pretending to be Kassandra) shrugs off.

"A... bear?" Kyra was skeptical, but the answer seemed genuine with how fast it was given. 

"Yes. Not too long ago I'd say by this point. I was looking for you and I was so focused on finding you that I didn't notice one had made its way behind me. I had no choice but to fight it so this is both my blood and his."

This story sounded outlandish at best and the odds of the _actual_ Kassandra getting duped by a large bear wasn't believable. She was the most alert person she knew so there was no way a bear could sneak up on her like the story that's being presented to her said.

"I know this sounds utterly ridiculous, but I have no reason to lie to you."

A likely phrase, one she's heard countless times in her nightmares. Her mind knew that Kassandra was the only one she trusted and it used it against her at every turn. Most of what she heard Kassandra say were lies, but she would eventually fall for it on the hope that it was real, that _she_ was real, and she'd pay the price.

As if reading her mind, this "Kassandra" in front of her switches tactics. "If I was a figment of your imagination, why would I waste time on such a tale? Look!" Kassandra holds out her left arm towards her, fresh with a new wound. "You know I didn't have this before. I am _real_ Kyra and I'm right here."

"To fool me like you've done before, you can do just about anything when you're not real. Because you know I want to trust you and you want to abuse that."

"I'd _never_ want to abuse that again, Kyra. I made the biggest mistake of my life by not telling you the truth about Thaletas and by leaving you alone on that ship. I cannot imagine the horrors you had to go through to get here, but you _are_ and so am I."

Kyra can see tears in her eyes, something new that she's never imagined before. She's looked sad before, even hurt, but she never had imagined Kassandra on the verge of tears. She had rarely seen Kassandra show such emotions that it never crossed her mind that they could be directed towards her. The small inkling of doubt she had before was now twice as large and it caused her to hesitate. "I- I don't know..."

This all seemed too good to be true and she was holding up well (relatively speaking) so far, but she knew her resolve could never be held around any version of Kassandra. She was her one weakness and she always wrestled with the "what if" that followed any apparition of Kassandra. She always fell for it as she desperately wanted to believe she was alive and even though she should know better, she doesn't want to lose the only chance she may ever have. 

Kyra doesn't get a chance to say anything further before this "Kassandra" moves to grab something off a table and forces it into her hand. Kyra had no idea what it was, but the sharp end wasn't pointed her direction, but that of the woman in front of her.

"What are you doing?!" Kyra asks in a panicked voice as a hand is grasped firmly around her own, locking it in place. Kyra's hand wasn't in control and she watched as this woman hovered the tip of the blade just above her own heart.

"If you don't think I am real, kill me. I have nothing else to live for if I do not have you. So please, if you do not think I am real, kill me now because I refuse to go on without you."

"Are you mad?! I can't do that!" Kyra tries to jerk her hands away, but the grip was too tight. This didn't make any sense!

"You must." 

Kyra feels her hand get pulled forward as the blade just barely punctures the skin, allowing a small trickle of blood to flow. 

"You can end this all right now if you don't believe me. Just remember that I love you and that I will always love you. None of this is your fault."

"But-, I can't... I don't..." Kyra battles with herself to realize the truth. She's been faced with similar instances before, but she always knew it wasn't real. Now though, she's not so sure and that shred of doubt had manifested into something much bigger.

"You have suffered enough because of me so if I am the one that plagues your mind, won't you be better off to just finish it now? I don't want to be the source of your fear, I never have. There is no part of me that wants you to be afraid of who I am so, please, end this if you desire it so."

Kyra was at an utter loss to what was happening, but she knew she was the one with all the power now. All it would take was a hard push of this blade to stop her heart (if there indeed was a heart) and this nightmare would be over. She would wake back up and she would be all alone again to mourn the loss of Kassandra all over. This would just be another day in the many that would follow and she would be trapped in her homemade misery until she died.

Kyra grips the object tighter and presses it a bit deeper into Kassandra's skin, watching as the fresh blood runs over the darker and dried blood that cakes her skin. She's never made her bleed before and there was no satisfaction in what she was doing. Even with the false Kassandra's she's dealt with before, she took no pleasure in causing her any pain. This was not the first time she had to resort to this, but this was the first time Kassandra had not been actively pursuing her. She always had been hunted like an animal before and only on the fear of her life did she ever fight back. This was just the opposite of that and it only fueled her irrationality to the situation.

She is now hyper fixated on everything around her, desperately searching for something to tell her what to do, what to think. She wanted this mental torture to end, but she didn't want to make a mistake she couldn't undo. There was too much on the line right now for her to make the wrong decision so she needed a sign, just _something_ to tell her the right thing to do. She looks to Kassandra's face and sees an honest fear. Her eyes were clenched shut and there was a slight tremble to her lips, a movement so subtle that she'd have missed it if she wasn't unabashedly staring. Nothing about what she saw supported this being only a nightmare so the only explanation was that this wasn't just some twisted game, but that this was reality.

With Kassandra's eyes still shut, Kyra tentatively props up on the balls of her feet and leans forward, just barely hovering her free hand over the outline of Kassandra's face. She was too afraid to touch and risk having this illusion shatter, but she could feel the warmth radiating on her palm from Kassandra's body heat. It was her, it had to be...

Overwhelmed with relief, Kyra withdraws her hovering hand back to her side as she sinks forward onto her knees sobbing. The hand that was holding the weapon was released and, with the regained freedom, she dropped it like the mere feel of it was burning her to the touch.

"It's ok, you're safe now. I've got you." Kassandra reassures her as she takes one of her hands within her own. 

The touch is gentle and tender, like Kassandra is afraid that she'll break if she applies any pressure. Kyra didn't want any delicacy anymore, she wanted something that would smother her. She wanted a touch that assured her that she was here and that she wasn't going anywhere. She wanted to beg for her to hold her, but no words would take shape so she'd have to settle for this for now. Unlike Kassandra, Kyra squeezes back with everything she had and relishes in the touch that hadn't disappeared.

"Kyra, are you alright to walk? We should get out of here before we're spotted."

This gets her attention enough to regain some normalcy in her breathing. "Spotted? What are you talking about? Are you being chased?"

"No, at least I don't think so, but we are in a stranger's encampment right now and I don't want to push our luck. We can head further inland and take our chances."

"They're not going to hurt you here." Kyra was sure they'd be just as welcoming as they were to her. "Eliana was the one that saved me from the cult. She took me back here and has treated my wounds, fed me, and gave me shelter. She has been nothing but kind to me. I will not leave her without showing my gratitude, it is the least I can do."

Kyra knows Kassandra wants to argue this with her, she can tell by the small twitches in her brow. Kassandra didn't know these people, but Kyra wanted her to. She wanted her to meet Eliana, a woman who has only ever been sweet and kind to her. She couldn't just leave without saying goodbye.

"Fine, we shall go and speak to her." Kassandra relents. "Do you know where she is?"

"No, but she checks in on me every day so she's bound to show up soon."

Eliana had told Kyra she'd be back this evening and (although she didn't know how late it was), she assumed it had to be dusk by the lack of sunlight shining through the gaps in the hut.

"She may have already done that. Two others were in here before me so maybe one of them was her?"

Kyra didn't have any recollection of anyone else in here so there must have been a point where she went back to sleep, if only for a few minutes. Eliana wouldn't have just left her so it couldn't have been her. "I don't know, I just have to find her. I can't just leave."

"We'll find her, I promise. Just take a deep breath for me now."

Kyra hadn't even noticed she was teetering on the edge of hyperventilating, but she followed Kassandra's motions and matches her rhythm.

_Breathe in, breath out._  
_Breathe in, breath out._  
_Breathe in, breath out._

"Good, very good." Kassandra smiles at her as her hand reaches for (and tucks away) a stray stand of hair behind her ear.

The gesture was simple, but it meant so much to her. How she had been starved of her touch for so long, both by her own choice and by the fates. She had thought withdrawing from Kassandra would help her figure herself out, but this small instance now just showed her that maybe she was wrong. 

"Let's go find Eliana and we can go back home. How does that sound?" Kassandra asks the question as she offers her hand to pull her up off the ground.

_Home._ Home had been what she thought she had wanted this whole time, but home was never a place. Her home was not Mykonos anymore, no, her home was _Kassandra_ and it always would be. Losing her had made her realize that her only place of rest would be with this woman before her, a woman who defied all the odds and made it back to her. A woman who loved her enough to fight to be by her side.

Kyra accepts her hand and the two of them stand for just a moment before Kassandra tells her the next steps.

"Why don't you go out first? They know you so it wouldn't be suspicious and you can just let me know if the coast is clear or not. Are you good with that?" 

Kassandra was making this sound like a rescue mission, but she had already been saved. There were no threats here and she would make her see that. "Yes, I can do that."

"I'll be right here. If you need me, all you have to do is say my name and I'll be right behind you. I've got you."

Kyra nods as she lifts up the flap and exits the hut. Taking a glance upwards, she notes that it is indeed night time and that it was almost pitch black outside. Lowering her gaze back to normal, she spots a few sparsely lit torches, an odd sight since this place was usually well lit up. She takes a few steps towards the central hut and as she does, she feels the drops of rain on her skin. A now feasible explanation for such darkness emerged, but something about this level of dark made her feel a bit off. She takes a couple more small steps to try to get her bearings (as she only had sparse knowledge of the layout) when a crunching noise to her left causes her to freeze.

Turning to look the direction of the noise, Kyra comes face to face with several heavily armed women in hoods. She isn't sure why they're like this, but she can hazard a guess and say it has to do with Kassandra's presence. She does the only thing that comes to mind. "Uhhhh, I think we have a very big problem."

Within a blink, Kassandra raced to her, even fast enough that she smacked directly into her back, almost knocking her over. She had no idea what was happening now, but she could feel Kassandra tensing beside her as she grabbed her hand to pull her behind her. This had to be the other members of the village, but she was at a loss for why they would be so hostile. Kyra's view was obstructed by Kassandra's body, but she manages to lean far enough to the side that she can catch most of what is happening. It was a standoff of sorts, but for what she didn't know. Surely she could talk to them about this as it just had to be a misunderstanding.

The group parts at the center and one of the hooded figures walks towards the both of them. Kyra can see Kassandra's spear in this woman's hands, but how she got it was just adding to the mystery.

"Missing something, _Eagle Bearer_?" The woman speaks and she cannot see Kassandra's face, but she can feel her body tense up.

This was someone who knew Kassandra somehow and she was guessing by Kassandra's reactions to hearing her title used that it wasn't pleasant. Kyra had so many questions for everything that had happened in the past few moments, but now didn't seem to be the right time. For now, she just had to wait and see how this would unfold and she needed to be ready to fight if needed. 

She would not lose Kassandra again.


	8. Perfume

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two whole chapters in less than 48 hours??? It's more likely than you think!
> 
> I am taking full advantage of this hot streak I'm on right now as getting my rhythm back has sort of opened the floodgates for a lot of things. I hadn't intended for another Kyra chapter, but it just felt so right to do and I fell in love with where this chapter was going from the get go. I even think there's gonna be one more from her POV before it shifts back to Kassandra because of this. I am excited for the potential here and I cannot wait to take you on this journey.
> 
> As always, I do hope you enjoy this chapter and I cannot wait to hear from you!
> 
> Britney Spears - Perfume  
> https://youtu.be/PsO1UsFMuaY

The tension filling up the air around them is suffocating, but all she can do is wait to see who makes the first move. Her eyes search for an explanation in that of the hooded woman in front of her, but it is too dark for it to be of much use. Kassandra is as rigid as a board, something Kyra's never seen before, and it only adds to their situation. The two must have a history, but neither women are offering up anything to help her figure out why. She can only wait shielded behind Kassandra as the rain intensifies around them. She is quite underdressed for a standoff in the rain and she can feel her body starting to shiver. She bites down on her bottom lip just enough that her teeth won't chatter so loudly as the silence amongst them all is still deafening. Finally, the hooded woman flips back the hood of her shawl and Kyra hears a name slip past Kassandra's lips.

_Daphnae._

The way Kassandra utters her name feels personal, _too_ personal. She speaks her name in a sheer disbelief, but with nothing short of tenderness. It became abundantly clear that whoever this woman was, she meant something to Kassandra. The name didn't sound familiar, at least not that she knew. Then again, it wasn't like Kassandra was so forthcoming in her past so there's probably a lot she's still missing. Getting Kassandra to speak about her past was never an easy task and she mostly gave up trying because she was tired of putting in so much effort. It was like trying to see colors in the dark, impossible and fruitless. Still, she found herself being drawn further into this mystery and to get a better look, she needed to make a slight adjustment.

Kyra decides to sidestep around Kassandra until she was side by side with her, but she doesn't dare look at Kassandra, at least not until she's sure she can afford to look away from the crowd. It didn't take a genius to notice the crowd around them and it was obvious their reactions to this scene was less than hospitable. They still had their weapons drawn and at the ready and looked ready for a fight. Stealing a glance over her shoulder, Kyra takes in the perplexed expression on Kassandra's face. 

It was a look of pure disbelief and bewilderment, confirming Kyra's earlier thoughts that there was a deep history here. It made her wonder if Kassandra even noticed that she had moved or that the other members of this village still had their weapons pointed right at her. She just stood there in a paralyzed surprise, her arms defenseless at her sides. This woman, Daphnae, was still holding out her spear, but Kassandra made no move to meet her, not even a little bit. She just stared like there was nobody but the two of them and they were in a world all their own. It makes Kyra feel uncomfortable in ways she doesn't quite understand, but she knows this awkward stare down needs to stop.

Kyra does the first thing that pops into her head and clears her throat. It wasn't just a casual noise though, like she was clearing her throat after drinking too fast, but one that aired a hint of annoyance and displeasure. She didn't appreciate whatever "this" was and she was not in the mood to be a third wheel in whatever dance these two were doing. It does the trick as she watches Kassandra's eyes unglaze and her hand _finally_ grabs the extended spear. She focuses on nothing else but Kassandra's reactions as she takes the journey from astonished to confused, her brows knitting together.

"You are injured," Daphnae addresses to Kassandra before shifting her attention towards the both of them, "you both are, so please step back inside and we will get you taken care of." 

Daphnae motions behind them and Kyra made the easy decision of doing just that. She was soaking wet from the rain, she was freezing, and now she was upset. She couldn't have predicted any of this and she's not even sure what _this_ is, but she knows she doesn't like it. Kassandra files in behind her a moment later and steps in front of her, in a sort of defiance against Daphnae who enters in last with another woman beside her.

"Relax, Beast Slayer, we will not harm her." Daphnae speaks to Kassandra and Kyra watches as her shoulders visibly relax by the assurance. Kassandra moves from in front of her to her side, almost like a concession.

Kyra isn't sure why this proclamation is necessary considering she's been here for a few days already and nothing has happened to her. Why would Kassandra being here make a difference in how she was treated? Who even was Daphnae? Where was Eliana in all of this? Eliana would know what was going on. Kyra made a mental note to find her later to figure it all out and, hopefully, gain some semblance of understanding.

"I believe we should go and speak privately, don't you?" Daphnae inquires to Kassandra and Kyra can see that Kassandra's at least a tiny bit conflicted at the request. Daphnae picks up on her hesitation and offers her additional words of support. "She will be safe, you have my word as their leader. No harm will come from us while she is in our care."

Kyra's own brows furrow by this conversations for a multitude of reasons, mostly because she's being spoken about like she's not even there. Daphnae's sole focus is Kassandra, that much is very apparent, but she didn't take kindly to the fact that she was being so blatantly ignored. To her credit, Kassandra looks her direction for an answer. She at least had the decency to check with her before she made this decision. As unhappy as Kyra was by all this, she knew it would do her no good to deny her this. Holding her tongue, she gives Kassandra the approval she'd been looking for.

Kyra is taken by surprise when Kassandra reaches forward to grab her hands, squeezing them gently. "I won't be far and if you feel unsafe for any reason, yell for me and I will come right back."

Unsafe?! What in the world was even going on here? Who were these people if Kassandra had to give such a warning? Dozens of questions flood her mind, but she knows Kassandra won't be of any use in answering them, at least not now. She was destined to live in a haze of confusion until someone decided to be merciful and fill her in. She didn't want to make a scene, at least with Daphnae staring at the both of them, so she would just pretend everything was fine. It was something she had become used to after all.

"Just go, I'll be fine." 

Giving her hands a tiny squeeze, Kassandra stands back up and follows Daphnae out of the hut and Kyra is left with the woman she's never met.

"Daphnae has requested I take a look at your wounds so please remove your clothing so I can get a good look."

The woman appeared nice enough, but her voice gave her away. She clearly doesn't wish to be doing this, but Daphnae must be in a position of power and has ordered her to do so anyway. Kyra can't help to feel a little self conscious about it, not because she will essentially be naked, but that there is a heavy detachment from the woman with what she's doing. It is impersonal and it is a bit deflating if she were being honest. She hadn't even met this woman and it felt like she already hated her. Maybe she wasn't so welcomed here after all?

Kyra disrobes as best she can and waits for this woman to look her over. She doesn't even bother to ask for her name because, odds are, she wouldn't give it freely anyway. No, she would just keep her mouth shut and her jaw clenched shut. This was easier said than done as the woman pressed on different wounds over her body, igniting the pain once more.

"You'll live." The woman notes as she steps back, giving her a final once over. "Most of your injuries are not something I can fix so just try not to get into any more fights and you'll be fine."

Fights? Ha! If only she knew the horrors she's faced within the past couple weeks, maybe then she wouldn't be such a _kunops._

"I'll be sure to do that." Kyra responds with heavy sarcasm, but either this woman didn't get it or she didn't care.

"If it were up to me, you both would be gone. We don't need your kind here polluting the thoughts of our young ones."

Kyra doesn't know how to react to that so she doesn't (at least not visibly anyway). She remains standing tall and her gaze remains trained on the rude woman as she turns and exits without another word. Taking solace in her unexpected solitude, she closes her eyes and takes a nervous breath. In only a matter of moments, she has become someone these people despise and she's at a complete loss as to why. None of this made any sense! She had barely left this hut since she's got here so how could these people hate her so? She needed to get some air, some space to get herself calmed down without the fear of judgment. Quickly putting her clothes back on, she makes haste in her attempt to flee the area.

As she briskly walks in the direction she randomly chose, she can _feel_ their judgmental eyes boring a hole into the back of her head. Their whispers becoming taunts as she walks even faster towards one of the caves she can make out up ahead. She just needed to be alone, somewhere out of sight and this cave seemed as good as any. She wasn't going to go in it very far, just enough to get out of the rain. There didn't seem to be many patrols out like other nights so she may actually have a moment where she can just breathe by herself. It takes a couple hits to the shins before she gets her bearings and finds a suitable place to sit, but once she does, she allows herself to decompress. 

Why did the gods punish her so? What wrong could she have committed that deserved this level of punishment? She had made mistakes, but she's always repented, even when it came to cheating on Thaletas. She had atoned for her dark deeds so why couldn't she catch a break? It was as if the world was turning against her and it just was too much. She presses her hands into her eyes and gives it a gentle push, a futile attempt to keep herself from crying.

She just wanted to scream!

Kyra embodied every emotion imaginable and they were all brimming beneath the surface all at once. They clashed within her like warriors and she didn't know if she could survive it once there became a victor. She was in pain, both physically and emotionally, and she couldn't make it better. The only light in her darkness had been Kassandra's presence with the knowledge and assurance that she had not been lost in the realm of Poseidon, but was here with her in the flesh. It happened so fast that it was still hard to believe that she was even real. It had only been a few minutes that they were together before this all unfolded and she got taken away, but it was enough to keep her going. 

Speaking of Kassandra, Kyra can swear she hears her voice echoing from above her this very moment. She knew she had gone off somewhere, but what would be the odds that she was also at the same spot...

"I don't know what to say." She faintly hears Kassandra say to who she's assuming is Daphnae.

She wonders how she hadn't noticed them until now given that she's been relatively quiet this whole time. There's a part of her that knows she's eavesdropping and that it's wrong, but there's a larger part of her that wants to know what they're saying. With any luck, it may give her some clarity to this whole debacle and she can use that to figure the rest out. Deciding to stay, she gets up and edges to the opening of the cave in an attempt to hear them a bit better.

"I'm not sure there is anything to say as nothing can change the paths we both walk and the oaths we both took, but for what it is worth, I am glad to see you. I have... missed you."

Kyra doesn't have to see what's going on to know what Daphnae means by this. The story was told in her voice and it created an image that filled Kyra with dread, rising a sick feeling within her stomach.

"Daphnae..." She hears Kassandra respond and the tenderness she finds within her voice might as well have been a blade to her heart.

"You do not have to speak, Beast Slayer, I can see your answer in your face as I always have and that is enough for me. I never thought I'd ever see you again and I cannot ever forgive your actions, but my heart had never stopped being yours."

_Oh no._

If Kyra's heartbreak had a sound, it would be as hollow as this cave and as stormy as this night. There was no mistaking the words she heard as anything but a profession of love from Daphnae and she didn't need to wait around for Kassandra's answer to know what this all meant. She _knew_ something was wrong deep within her gut and now she had it confirmed. Daphnae is clearly one of Kassandra's numerous romances, but from how Kassandra had been responding to her all night, it was clear it wasn't a one time affair. You do not confess such things to someone you bedded once, but you would say this to someone who you had spent enough time with, enough time to love them.

The silence of the cave became anything but and suddenly her need to be alone became something she wished she'd never wanted. She could have remained ignorant to the fact that this woman was in love with her girlfriend, well, her sort of girlfriend. Either way, it didn't matter, Daphnae was in love with her love and that was more than she wanted to deal with because that meant that Kassandra just might love her too.

She could tell they were still talking, but she couldn't focus on the words in more than bursts, not after what she's already heard. She didn't know how much longer they'd be talking (or worse) and she couldn't bear to witness anymore than she has so she needed to get back to the hut. She didn't bother to walk this time and, instead, ran as fast as she possibly could. Her lungs burned from the unexpected burst and she could feel how unready her body was for any form of physical exertion, but it was a different kind of pain and that felt nice. She never thought she'd say anything like this, but Kassandra had a hold over her like no other and _that_ kind of pain hurt so much worse.

Tossing open the door to the hut, Kyra trudges in covered in specks of mud from the knees down. Her clothing is sopping wet and she had managed to knick herself when she was in the cave because she was bleeding too. Of course she would be because nothing could ever go right... She was so mad that she could scream! 

Kyra wipes her hand off on her top before she places the skin between her thumb and pointer between her teeth and bites. It was a suppression technique she had learned years ago and it was perfect for this. It allowed her to express her pain without making a peep and boy did she have so much pain to let out. She bit hard enough to leave marks, but never hard enough to break the skin. It didn't solve her problems, not even close, but she did feel just a tiny fraction better than she did before so that had to count for something. It allowed her to have calmed down just enough to realize she needed to come up with a plan.

She wasn't sure if she wanted to stay any longer after what happened here, but she still didn't even really know where she was or how to get back. This was always Kassandra's world, not hers, and she's finding herself woefully unprepared to go it alone. She could walk on foot, but who knows what kind of dangers lurk behind the shadows of the darkness. Not to mention that she had no weapons to defend herself and these women didn't seem the type to be sharing. There also was the much larger factor of Kassandra that she had to think about. She didn't get this far just to lose her again, but what could she possibly do? Who was she to stand in the way of love? She loves Kassandra more than life itself, but maybe that wasn't good enough. Maybe to love her, she has to let her go.

Kyra's eyes fill with tears at the thought as she tries to tidy herself up. There was a fresh set of clothes for her to wear that Eliana had brought her yesterday that she'd forgotten about until just now and they looked much comfier than what she was wearing anyway. It would be less suspicious too if she changed before Kassandra got back because, if she stayed as is, she'd be soaked and Kassandra would begin to ask questions she wasn't ready to give answers to. Kassandra could not know she was anywhere but here, she couldn't know what she had overheard because she didn't want her pity. Kassandra felt guilty and Kyra refused to let that be the reason that she remained by her side. She could see it when they were on the ship and she could see it now. Kassandra had said she loved her, but how much of it was real and how much was it Kassandra trying to calm her down by saying what she wanted to hear?

Kassandra was infamous for her charms and could sweet talk her way out of pretty much anything if she wanted to. So now who's to say that it wasn't what she'd been doing all along? Even when she would "mess up" what she wanted to say, maybe it was on purpose and a part of something even bigger? Kyra berates herself at the doubt she's self inflicting, but it is so hard not to when what you see and (more recently) what you hear tell you a different story. Kyra allows herself to cry, but she does it in silence as she wipes away any traces of what she'd been doing. She knew Kassandra would eventually be back, but given the conversation she overheard, it probably wouldn't be anytime soon. Curling up in a ball, she let's her anguish wash over her, wave after wave.

Even though her eyes are open, she can hardly see a thing due to the blur of the tears so, when Kassandra makes her reappearance, she's unaware of her presence until she hears her voice.

"What happened? What's wrong?" Kassandra asks her, Kyra feeling her close proximity as a heavy weight drops next to her.

She remains silent for even speaking a single word at this very moment may cause her to spill out and flood the room with everything on her mind. Instead, she just wraps herself tighter and hopes that Kassandra will just walk away from her on her own accord. This was what was best, at least it is what she kept telling herself. She didn't deserve Kassandra, she didn't deserve her affection and she didn't deserve her protection. Lost within her own mind, Kyra doesn't notice Kassandra's hand moving closer to her face until the touch registers and she flinches away. She had never intended to react like that, but she's not been herself since this whole abduction began. It made her feel bad, but she just tried to tell herself that Kassandra would take the hint.

"Kyra, please, I want to help you but I don't know how to make it better. Tell me what to do." Kassandra's voice was almost pleading and it took every ounce of willpower she had within her to not cave in.

She needed to be strong. This would be the right thing to do.

"Go."

She wanted to change her mind, to beg Kassandra to just stay and hold her, but she didn't. She wanted to feel her against her own body, but she could not tempt herself so. She needed to stop being so selfish.

"Ok, I will go, but I am not leaving you. I won't be far and when you want my company back, just call for me."

Kassandra sounded hurt, Kyra knew she would be, but it was what needed to happen, but god did she not want that. It seemed her inner turmoil had spilled into her reality and all her deep seated fears had manifested right before her eyes. She was living her own personal nightmare now and there would be no way to wake up, no promise of a relief. There was nothing she could do about this and she just had to accept the fact that it would be her life now. Her eyes and her body grew weary as the minutes ticked by from her mini breakdown and, for the first time in a long time, she was looking forward to what sleep would bring her.

A rustling sound had been loud enough to pull her from her slumber and her initial reaction was panic until she heard Kassandra's voice following suit. Intrigued by what she was doing, Kyra rolls onto her back and looks at a disheveled Kassandra trying to wrestle with a piece of cloth.

"Malaka... this damn arm. I'm no better than a child at this rate."

Kyra speaks before she has a chance to stop herself, completely forgetting her attempt to keep withdrawn. "You complain like one too."

Kassandra spins around so fast that she almost knocks over half the contents on the table. "I'm sorry for waking you up. Please ignore me and go back to bed."

Kyra takes an appraising look at Kassandra and she sees for the first time just how injured she is. With the chaos and commotion that had happened since she returned, she hadn't had the opportunity to just soak in Kassandra's presence. She takes this moment to look, to _really_ look at the woman before her and she couldn't quite believe her eyes. Kassandra had been telling the truth about the bear as her left forearm bore the mark of its claw. It looks red and raw and Kyra is seriously tempted to scold her for letting it go so long without being treated. She can see the bruising peppering her exposed body, much like it does her own. A masterful figure marred by such blemishes, but Kassandra was still beautiful despite it all. If only for a few more moments, she would allow herself to just be present and in the moment.

"You sound like you're having some problems. What are you trying to do?" Kyra assumed it had to do with the bear injury, but with how covered she was with other injuries, she figured it would be best to let her vocalize it first. Kassandra was fiercely independent and that meant that she wouldn't be open to help, even when it was the right thing to do.

"I'm just trying to fix up my arm before it gets infected. I'll be alright." A classic deflection she had been expecting.

"You're trying to patch up your semi useless left arm with your completely useless right arm. Yeah, sounds like you've got this completely handled." Kyra withholds the eye roll, but she doesn't try to mask how ridiculous Kassandra is being in her voice.

"I'll get it sooner or later."

It was just the response she had anticipated, but she wouldn't just let her struggle on her own when she could help. No matter what she was feeling inside, she didn't want Kassandra to suffer.

"Or you could let me help you."

Kyra extended the olive branch of a truce (one that Kassandra was wholly unaware of) and it was up to Kassandra to decide what happens next.

"If it is not too much trouble, thank you."

Kassandra smiled at her in such a way that made her heart skip. Even when she was the source of her struggles, she also could be the only relief. 

"Come and sit down, I cannot reach you from up there."

"Oh, right, of course."

Kassandra tries to sit down gracefully with her hands full, but it turns into more of a sack of grain dropping to the floor. Grace was the furthest thing from her movements, but at least she didn't fall over. She did have a lost look to her once she settled down though. How Kyra wishes she wishes she could read her mind, then maybe she would be able to know what to do. 

She didn't want to interrupt whatever she was thinking, but she was getting tired herself and she wasn't sure how much longer she could remain awake. Not to mention that Kassandra had a death grip on the supplies Kyra needed to use. "Are you just going to stare at me or are you going to let go so I can fix you up?"

Kassandra quickly averts her gaze to stare at the ground beneath them. "I'm sorry about that, here."

Kyra accepts everything from Kassandra's grasp and she meticulously gets to work. She was no expert, but she had enough training that she could make this a little better. It would still scar, but she doubted Kassandra even cared at all. Her body was covered in the permanent reminders so this would just be another story for her to tell around the campfire years from now. As Kyra works to close the wound, she can feel Kassandra squirming a bit beneath her. Kassandra's face remains hardened, but Kyra knew the pain she must be feeling. She takes the opportunity to run her finger around the wound itself, tracing the outline as she thinks at just how lucky Kassandra is. She fought a bear, _a bear,_ and this was the worse she got. She had been stabbed and left to drown, but you wouldn't know it just by looking at her. How is she even real? How could this all even be possible?

"It amazes me how you're still alive." Kyra unintentionally whispers aloud in awe. She hadn't meant to say anything, but now that she had, she can't find it within herself to stop. 

Memories of every close call they've ever encountered flashed in her mind. Every single awful memory replayed so vividly it was as if she was experiencing it all over again. How many times has she watched Kassandra almost die? How many moments could've been their last? Better yet, how many _should_ have been it? 

"I've seen you die." Kyra's voice cracks as she traces Kassandra's skin ever so gently. "I watched what happened to you on the ship and there was no way you could have survived it. You shouldn't be in front of me, you shouldn't be alive. You fought a _bear_ and walked away from it with only this. You shouldn't even exist, but here you are."

Kyra finally glances up to meet Kassandra's gaze, her sadness shifting into something deeper, an intense adoration. "You're extraordinary." 

Kassandra doesn't look away as she says this and Kyra can feel the immense weight of her words as they hover around them. It was as if they were the only two souls in the world. "And I think to myself, I try to fathom why you're here, but I never can find an answer. I don't know if I'll ever understand you or if I even can." Kyra mindlessly caresses Kassandra's arm to fulfill a subconscious need to be close to her. "There's so much more to you than meets the eye and I don't even know if you fully know just what you can do. It's a scary thought, but it is also exciting, isn't it?"

"I-, I've never thought about it like that before." Kassandra stammers out in reply. "I don't know if I've ever really taken the time to really think about just what I do. I mean, I know it when it happens, but I've not ever actively tried to find out more. Everything I know I can do is by sheer accident or dumb luck."

Modesty didn't suit her, it never really has. How can she not see what a spectacle she truly is? Luck has no part in this, it is in Kassandra's blood. Greatness runs through her veins, but with such a gift, a heavy price must always be paid. 

"I don't think you're lucky at all. In fact, I think just the opposite. I mean honestly, what regular person goes through even a quarter of what you have? Nobody is ever that lucky and I think you're so far from it that you attract all the worst the gods have to offer." It was the only thing that made any sense after everything she's seen. It was clear that the gods not only gifted her such a power, but that they wanted to punish her for it as well. It was why she'd lived the life she did and why she's had all these horrific things happen. It was the only possibility as there was no way a sole person could draw that much ire on their own.

With a sharp tug, she tightens the knot and allows her hands to ghost over her handiwork. She was too enamored with the woman before her that she missed the goosebumps as they rose up Kassandra's arm, tensing her up ever so slightly. 

Satisfied that she's done what she could, she allows her hands to drop back to her sides after a quick brush against her clothes. "All done. I hope it doesn't hurt you too much. I'm not a healer by any means, but I think it'll heal up just fine and be a nice new scar for you in no time."

"I seem to be getting a whole lot of those lately. I don't think there will be an unmarred spot on me at this rate."

She wasn't wrong. There would be hardly an unmarked space left on her body if she were not careful, but Kyra didn't think Kassandra would be bothered much by it. "Scars are stories so it only means you have that much more to tell." It was just as she thought earlier. "Scars are reminders of the past and they remind you of where you've been."

"They're not all good stories."

"They don't have to be, but their still yours. What you take from them is up to you, but consider them a reminder of a dark time and remember that you're still here in spite of them." Kyra tilts her gaze up as she takes in the thatch roof above them. "You have won over every dark day and a scar was the worst thing it could do to you."

Kyra hadn't intended on this conversation getting so deep, but it actually felt kind of nice. It was a stark contrast to how any conversation usually went between the two of them. The irony isn't lost on her that only when they're at their worst do they speak like this. It takes them almost getting to the edge of their rope before they offer a hand to one another. It was a dangerous game they were playing and sooner or later, their rope would end and there would be nothing left.

The room is silent, quiet in the self reflection, a chance for them to make amends while the world around them is loud and boisterous. The thunder above billows through the night, drowning out any hope of serenity. Kyra takes a moment to glance over at Kassandra and she watches how her head tilts up with her eyes closed, like she's absorbing everything around them. 

Kassandra looks magnificent, but also exhausted. She can see the lines around her eyes, a sign of sleep deprivation. Kassandra was never big on sleeping much, but Kyra couldn't help but wonder if it had gotten worse like her own sleeping has. Was Kassandra haunted the same way she was?

"Are you tired too?" 

"Yeah, I think I am." Kassandra answers as she tilts her chin back down, looking back at Kyra so their eyes can meet. "I didn't know how exhausted I was until I stopped moving."

Kassandra's comment makes Kyra pause to think of just how true everything was. She had no reason to lie to her about what she'd been doing so she must have been spending countless days searching for her. She wasn't sure why she'd go to such great lengths just to find her again. She wasn't worth the risk to Kassandra's own life (which she undoubtedly faced given her track record). Still, she did owe her a debt of gratitude.

"I don't think I've said this yet, but thank you Kassandra. Thank you for coming to find me, to save me. I haven't been myself and I don't know if I can ever go back to how I once was, but I do know that I wouldn't be here, alive, if it wasn't for you."

It was the truth and, even if she didn't believe she had been worth the risk, Kassandra still did it anyway. She was too heroic for her own good, couldn't she see that? It sent a worry down Kyra's spine at the implications behind what this could all ultimately mean. She just had to pray that she would stop finding out before it became too late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kunops - Bitch face


	9. Crawling In The Dark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A happy Monday to you all! I had originally intended on this coming out earlier yesterday, but something came up and ate a huge chunk of my day. That said, I wouldn't have had nearly as much for you then as I do now so it all worked out for the better! This chapter will wrap up Kyra's POV (for the time being) and we'll be back with Kassandra for the next installment.
> 
> I want to give a warning for some of the content that is discussed in the beginning of this chapter as it get quite dark. It doesn't last for too long, but everyone has their own tolerance levels.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy 😊.
> 
> Hoobastank - Crawling In The Dark  
> https://youtu.be/bOHxtOLfvIo

Kassandra was looking deep into her eyes, well past every barrier she tried to throw up in a futile defense. It was a look that offered a promise within itself, something that Kyra knew meant what was to follow would be nothing but the truth. It meant Kassandra was serious and that frightened her. There was nothing that would come out of Kassandra's mouth that wouldn't scare her beyond belief. Having something so _real_ dangling right before her, she wasn't prepared. For as much as she wanted to hear the truth, she wasn't ready for it, not yet.

"I would do anything for you." 

Kassandra's confession was honest to a fault and as Kyra stared back into her eyes, she knew she couldn't accept this. Kassandra was reckless, sure, but she had never been more so than when they had started this journey. Feelings were getting in the way of rational thought and it was going to get them killed. It _should've_ gotten them killed. Her willingness to launch herself into danger in the name of protection was something Kyra didn't want. She didn't want that burden of what would happen when it wasn't enough. She had already lived with a taste of that pain and it wasn't something she could do again. 

The days she thought Kassandra dead were the most miserable days of her existence. She'd been exposed to horrors no person should and they all pale in comparison to the devoid emptiness that grew within her without Kassandra. To know it was her fault made the pain unbearable and she was ashamed to say she had considered... _alternatives_ to get it to stop. She was in a dark place, darker than she ever imagined, and there was nothing she could do. She deserved everything she got and then some, every part of her self hatred and guilt was mild compared to what she deserved. It was a good reason why she was still here, she needed to be punished and what punishment is worse than death? Life. Not just any life though, a fractured one.

A life that could just _barely_ keep her from drowning in this pool of despair. Her head just barely cresting the surface, afloat by only extraordinary effort. She would not know peace nor would she ever know rest, burdened with her decisions until she could take no more. Anything that would happen to her was deserved, but not this, not this...

"I know you would and that's what scares me. That you're willing to do such stupid things, all in the name of me. I don't know if I can handle being the cause of what eventually kills you."

"Kyra, listen to me." Kassandra speaks tenderly as she reaches out to take her hand. "My actions are never your fault. Whatever I choose to do is not anything you can control. I will always protect you, even if you don't want me to."

_Stop._

"I will _always_ find you."

_Please stop._

"It doesn't matter how far you push me away, I will never stop."

_Gods, just stop being so forgiving! Just stop it!_

She needed to end this conversation. Now.

"I'm not worth you dying for. And don't- don't you dare say that I'm wrong." _Just listen to my words, see reason._ "My life is not worth more than yours and I wish you'd stop being such a hero all the damn time."

Kyra was losing control. An unexplainable feeling was erupting within her, something foreign. Was she angry? Sad? Something in between? She was full to the brim with something alright, but it wasn't looking good.

Kassandra matches her energy, gone were the ways of the tenderness she was showing only moments ago. What is before Kyra now is a hardened glare with a squared jaw, a pose that came second nature to a woman like Kassandra. It was strong in the face of a weakness and, best of all, it was a defiance. It was a defiance to her and to them.

"It isn't being a hero if I'm why you got into the mess in the first place!"

_She blames herself... of course she does._

"You ask for me to see, but you're just as blind. You would have me not try to amend my mistakes? You'd prefer it if I just let you die?"

This was it, the final straw. This is what it all boiled down to in the end, life and death. Kassandra was blaming herself for what was so _clearly_ Kyra's fault. Kassandra was the one who was trying to shoulder the blame and accept the repercussions, but Kyra couldn't have that. She alone was to blame in what unfolded and she alone would have to face those consequences. Kassandra should have just let her go, she should have let her die.

Kyra knew she was never the valuable one and her death wouldn't cause the world as they know it to screech to a halt. Kyra wasn't special, she didn't have any abilities gifted by the divines. She was just another human in a world of the gods and her existence made no difference. Kassandra should have known better than to potentially discard herself for a nobody. She just didn't know how to make her see that. She couldn't show her that her life had no greater value than what she sees. She doesn't have a higher purpose, no lifelong calling to pursue. She was unimportant to the grand scheme of things and she needed Kassandra to understand that.

Doing the only thing that could really get Kassandra's attention, she tells her exactly what she feels. "Yes! Yes! Yes! For gods sake, yes!"

Kassandra withdraws from her like she was Hades reincarnated, like even being near her was a painful experience. A look of hurt sets deep within the lines of her face and Kyra can only watch as it morphs into something deeper, darker. 

Kassandra was enraged.

"How dare you?! You don't get to say that, not after all of this. You don't. You don't get to just give up after _everything_."

Kyra had never seen her snap like this and it honestly was a bit terrifying. She knew Kassandra would react poorly, but this was not going like how she had imagined it. She needed to show Kassandra, she had to try harder.

"It isn't your choice to make! Don't you see? I've been tortured, Kassandra. TORTURED. For days on end without mercy and I wanted to die. I wanted to die so badly, but I couldn't and I hated it."

Kyra had tried her best to forget what she had been through, but the memories ripped her to shreds as they charged back in the fore front of her mind. She can feel every bruise like it was fresh, she can feel the pains as though they had just happened. She can hear herself screaming, begging to be set free from this prison. She can see her broken body for what it became, she can see the husk of the woman she once knew. How she longed for each breath to be her last just to make it all stop.

"I hated it..."

And worst of all, she hated who it made her. She couldn't recognize herself anymore, any part of her that existed before was now dead. The only thing that remained was the bitter shell of what survived. A frail and feeble woman who was supposed to change the world, but got manhandled like she was nothing more than trash that litters the streets. She was not the hero here, she was not the answer, but she knew who was and she resented her for it.

Kassandra _was_ the hero to their story and, although she accepted it, it didn't mean she wasn't hurt. She could barely stand on two feet, but Kassandra could survive multiple brushes with death and still come out standing tall. She hated herself for feeling like this, but she couldn't deny it. She _hated_ how this played out. It only affirmed for her that her doubts were true and that she wasn't worthy of anything. She resented Kassandra to a limit so extreme that any love she had was overtaken by something vile. It made her sick just thinking of it, but Kassandra deserved to know.

If she wanted the truth, she was going to get it.

"...and I hated you."

Kassandra's features shift from something hardened, like stone, to a hurt like none other. Kyra hated herself for being the cause of it, but she couldn't stop now. It was the time for a brutal honesty, the costs be damned.

"Me?" Kassandra softly utters in doubt, her pain and confusion becoming more evident the longer Kyra waited.

"You were so strong, far stronger than I could ever have hoped to be and you kept it together. You did what I couldn't do and you made the decisions that I couldn't. I was falling apart and I was so mad at you for being so put together. For being everything I needed you to be and more without hesitation. You talk about me being selfless, but Kassandra, I don't think you understand just what you've done for me."

Lost. That word would be the best to describe what she sees in Kassandra now. It was becoming evident to her that Kassandra wasn't going to get on the same level and see this from her perspective. They were two different currents colliding in the sea, neither willing to give so they could form in unison. Instead they crashed into one another again and again, both struggling to overpower the other. 

A beautiful disaster.

Kassandra gathers her composure, but only barely, to keep their argument alive. "I understand precisely what I've done and I would do it all again in a heartbeat. You don't get to do this to me. You do not get to make me feel guilty for saving you because I won't be and never will."

"But-"

"No!" Kassandra shouts in anger as she cuts her off and slams her fist into the dirt. 

If fire could come out of her eyes, Kyra's sure she'd be set ablaze by now. There was a smoldering intensity that targeted her to her very being. There was no mistaking what Kassandra was feeling and Kyra had just erupted the volcano that lay dormant beneath her.

"You don't think I've wanted to give in? You don't think I've just wanted to die? Because I have! You have no idea the horrors I've seen and you couldn't even imagine what I had to do to make it back to you." Kassandra abruptly stands and begins to pace, back and forth, treading a line into the dirt floor. "I DIED! I died back in the sea that night. I had to fight my way back and face unspeakable things for only the slightest hint of reuniting back to you, but I did it. I was boiled alive, I was forced to relive the most painful moments of my life, and I was brought to the brink of mental exhaustion where I begged for mercy. I had asked for death, but once faced with it, I knew I could never take it. Leaving this world meant that I would be living without you and that wasn't something I was willing to accept. So don't you DARE tell me that you wished you had died!"

In this moment, Kyra regretted everything. She had been so wrapped up in _her_ pain and _her_ situation that she didn't think about Kassandra. It never occurred to just _how_ Kassandra had made it back here to find her, she just only knew that she did. She had become so jaded by her own torment that she disregarded Kassandra's entirely. Gods... she had been so selfish. She needed to make amends before this got any worse. Apologizing wouldn't solve their problems, but it could be a start to trying to mend how broken they were.

Kyra doesn't even fight it when a sob rises through her chest. She allows it to pour out as she attempts to right the wrongs she's caused. She had to try. 

"Kassandra..."

But Kassandra wasn't having any of it.

"I don't want to see or speak to you right now." A snarl rises and Kyra knows she's too late. She had pushed Kassandra to far off the ledge and she couldn't stop the descent.

Kassandra's look alters into one of forced neutrality, making it worse than if she was angry. "I am going to find somewhere else to sleep."

"Kassandra, wait!" Kyra calls out to her, but Kassandra ignores her and stalks out the door.

She should go after her. She should get up and throw herself at her feet and beg of forgiveness. She should do _something, _but she won't. She won't because she knows the damage had already been done. There was nothing she could say right now that would fix anything, not even an apology could extinguish this fire. As much as it would kill her, she had to wait. Kassandra would not be found if she didn't want to be and Kyra couldn't risk pushing her even further away (if that was even possible). She chose to walk down this path so this was on her for not looking every direction. All she could do now was hope that she would get to make amends and maybe they could go back to being amicable.__

__Perhaps it was too much for her to be hopeful for, but she'd like them to be better. Even if they couldn't go back to what they had, maybe it was still possible to not part on bad terms. Kyra knew better than to wish for a reunion between them after how they've been acting with one another, but maybe they could be friends. She knew she was mostly to blame, but Kassandra also played a part in this whole thing too so she couldn't be absolved of her influence. If only they had figured each other out _before_ the chaos erupted, then they would've known what to do. As lost as Kyra found herself, she never thought Kassandra the same until now. She just thought she was the problem, but it seems that Kassandra didn't have all the answers._ _

__It was stupid of her to have ever thought that, but she chalks it up to her losing her sanity. It isn't an excuse for her actions, but it does explain why she had been so off kilter. Her world was dissolving and, with it, her apparent rationality she held onto. Kyra had _always_ prided herself on being smart and tactical, but this while ordeal had tossed that out the window. She was reckless and stupid when it mattered and there is no excuse for it. She had trained herself for this pressure, but she cracked like an egg dropping to the ground when things got rough. _ _

__A soft knock on the door snaps her out of her despondence, thinking (if but a fleeting moment) that it was Kassandra returning back. However, the voice that follows suit drops that wishful thinking immediately as it was only Eliana. At least if it wasn't Kassandra, it was the next best thing._ _

__"Hey, just wanted to check in on you." Eliana greets her with a warm smile. "I am sorry it took me so long."_ _

__"You're here now and that's what is important. Come and take a seat, I could use the distraction." Kyra pats the spot beside her, scooting over to make enough space._ _

__"Rough night?" Eliana inquires as she accepts the open invitation and takes a seat next to her._ _

__"I'm surprised you haven't heard." Kyra scoffs in a way that tries to amplify her disdain for the encounter, but Eliana knows her better than that._ _

__How this woman had become so attuned to her emotions was honestly quite puzzling. They hadn't known each other long, but Eliana always knew what she meant regardless of what she says. No lie or falsehood could pass her lips it seems without being spotted so she just decided to always be honest with her. She hadn't already run away so maybe there was a chance that she _actually_ cared._ _

__"I literally just got back a moment ago and I came right here, I knew I needed to check in on you." Eliana speaks genuinely. "Now what happened? Something's up."_ _

___Well, that's definitely the truth._ _ _

__"I don't even know where to begin." Kyra whines as she leans back against the interior wall. "It is all scrambled and hard to make sense of."_ _

__"How about the beginning? Like who does this involve?" Eliana mirrors Kyra's position and they're both awkwardly slouched, but none move to get more comfortable._ _

__"Kassandra and someone named Daphnae. I don't know who she is, but Kassandra sure does."_ _

__At the mention of Daphnae, Eliana shoots up to a sitting position before turning abruptly towards her. "What about Daphnae? What did she say to you?"_ _

__Kyra had never seen Eliana as anything but calm, but she could just feel the nervous energy radiating off the poor woman in waves. "She gave Kassandra-."_ _

__"Wait, wait! Hang on." Eliana blurts out, interrupting her mid sentence. "Like _Kassandra_ Kassandra? _Your_ Kassandra? The one that you thought was dead?"_ _

__"The very same." Kyra affirms. "Turns out she didn't die after all, but somehow survived everything I've told you and found her way here to me."_ _

__"Oh Kyra, that's wonderful!" Eliana launches at Kyra and pulls her into a tight embrace. "I'm so happy for you! Where is she? I'd love to meet her."_ _

__"That's part of what I was going to tell you. There's a lot you missed out on so do you want the short or long version?"_ _

__"Long. Spare me no details."_ _

__Eliana looked positively enraptured by the lingering promise of a story, it's just unfortunate that the tale would not be a happy one. It also made her wonder if Eliana saw much action out as a scout. It couldn't be a thrilling choice, but it was necessary so she understood. Sometimes you have to do what is expected of you because it is for the greater good, even if you may doubt it yourself._ _

__Taking a deep breath, Kyra unloads everything that she's been through from beginning to end, leaving no stone unturned. Well, almost no stone. There was still the matter of the eavesdropping that she was debating on sharing. She didn't want to put Eliana in a tough predicament and she _definitely_ did not want it getting back to either of them. _ _

__"And you're sure they know each other?" Eliana racks her mind for the connection. "I cannot recall Daphnae ever mentioning that name before and I'm pretty sure I know everyone she's been around."_ _

__"She didn't call her Kassandra though, she used another name." Kyra thinks back to the special name Kassandra was addressed by. "Beast... beast something."_ _

__Eliana's face drops and any prior excitement she may have held had been depleted in an instant. Kyra was going to ask her what was wrong, but Eliana spoke up before she had the opportunity._ _

__"Was it Beast Slayer by any chance?"_ _

__"Yeah, that was it. She called her that a few times over the course of a few conversations." The last part was just truthful enough so Kyra didn't feel bad (at least not yet)._ _

__Something else clicks however, and Kyra is posed with the same question she had with Daphnae. Did they know each other?_ _

__"Eliana, do you know Kassandra or, uh, Beast Slayer?"_ _

__The look on Eliana's face told her the answer already. It was apparent that she did indeed know who she was so this at least gave her the chance of finding out _why.__ _

__"Sort of? I know her name far more than I know her. She was a living legend for a little while here a few years ago."_ _

__A legend? That _definitely_ didn't explain the hostility shown their way once it was made clear who Kassandra was. She needed to know more, even if she didn't like it. Kassandra had made it clear that she had done some horrible things in her life so there was a possibility she had done something to these women. It would explain the apparent multi year feud._ _

__"What happened if you don't mind me asking?" Kyra looks to Eliana for the answer, but she can see the hesitation. "I mean, I just want to understand why everyone seems to hate me all of a sudden when I don't even know them."_ _

__It, again, wasn't a total lie because she did want to know why the hostility was directed at her. However, there _may_ be a larger reason for her knowing, a selfish one at that._ _

__"They don't hate you." Eliana assures her, but Kyra doesn't believe that notion in the slightest._ _

__"Tell that to the woman who told me that she'd have thrown me, _us_ , out if given the chance." Kyra huffs out in frustration as she slaps her hands down on her thighs. "Look, I just want to know what everyone else already does. I'm missing something big here and I need to know. Please..."_ _

__"Fine, but know that this is very, _very_ private and I need you to not tell a soul."_ _

__"Done. I won't repeat a thing, you have my word."_ _

__"Beast Slayer, well, _Kassandra_ was a friend of the Daughters for many moons. She had met Daphnae and accepted the task of getting pelts from animals gifted from Artemis herself. Nobody had ever gotten even one before so imagine everyone's surprise when she shows up with the first one, then another, then another, and so on. She had slayed every beast Daphnae tasked her to and she did it with relative ease from what I understood."_ _

__"I still fail to see what the issue is. Was she not supposed to kill them? Was it a trick?" Kyra interjects to speed up the conclusion. She is usually more patient, but she's not gotten any closer to what she wanted to know._ _

__"I'm not done yet if you'd let me finish." Eliana shoots her a pointed look and Kyra clamps her mouth closed to prevent any further outbursts. "Thank you." She nods, adjusting her seating position so that she's now completely facing Kyra._ _

__"Now Daphnae gives her the final challenge, one that brings them both back here to this village. With Kassandra passing every test, she now had to fight Daphnae to the death to see who will lead the Daughters. Kassandra had proven herself worthy by Artemis and Daphnae, duty bound as our leader, had to fight to prove herself worthy. Kassandra refused to fight her and she walked away with the threat of her death if she ever returned. It has never been forgotten nor has it ever been forgiven."_ _

__"Whoa." It's all Kyra is able to say as she absorbs everything Eliana had just shared with her. Kassandra had earned their eternal scorn by refusing Artemis' gift and she was only here now because of her. Kassandra must have known where she was which is why she tried to get her to leave with her. Kassandra had tried to get them out together, but her refusal to leave without speaking to Eliana caused her to get caught. Only it didn't appear that Daphnae was going to make good on her threat, _especially_ not after what she overheard. Daphnae still loved Kassandra and that was the only thing keeping them both alive right now._ _

__"I was one of the few people who were picked to attend the battle so that portion of it I got to see firsthand."_ _

__Kyra, not even thinking, allows herself to comment her internal thoughts aloud. "Kassandra would never want to settle like that. She'd have had to give up everything she loved to do something her heart would never be in. She wouldn't have ever accepted it, even if she did win."_ _

__"Maybe not, but the will of Artemis is never to be challenged and Kassandra shunned her in the most direct of ways."_ _

__It was now time to try to pull some more information out from Eliana (as much as she hated doing so). She had to know more about their relationship and she needed to know just what kind of woman Daphnae is._ _

__"Surely Daphnae could've seen reason? It isn't like she was just asking someone to help you all out, she was asking her to lead a group of warriors that she'd never met."_ _

__"The rules are there for a reason Kyra, I wouldn't expect you to understand."_ _

__Kyra can sense she's touched a nerve with Eliana on this topic so she altered her approach to try to be a bit more direct. "I don't mean to offend, I'm just confused as to why Kassandra is reacting to Daphnae the way she is. From your story, it wasn't an amicable parting so it wouldn't make sense for what I've seen. Kassandra was almost... transfixed by her presence."_ _

__"Umm..." Eliana shifts around a bit, fiddling with her hands to keep herself occupied._ _

__"I know you know something, you can tell me."_ _

__"It isn't that I don't want to tell you, it just isn't my place nor is it my story to tell."_ _

__"I need...," Kyra's voice cracks as her desperation begins to push through, "I _need_ to know. I need to know if I'm losing my mind or if what I'm seeing, what I'm _hearing_ is just a big misunderstanding. Please."_ _

__Eliana revere's her words carefully and she appears to mull it over. It wasn't like she needed to know everything, but just enough to know if she was crazy. She needed to know that what she heard was, without a doubt, something romantic. She could speculate all she wanted, but there always could be an explanation waiting. As much as she _didn't_ want to know, she needed to._ _

__"It was no secret that she had some sort of... _connection_ to Kassandra, that was made clear when she walked away. Kassandra had tried to reason with Daphnae about this, but she had refused to budge and they argued. I tried to not overhear them, but it was hard when I was so close. The gist of it was that Kassandra thought something special was there between them and Daphnae said it didn't matter. Before Kassandra walked away, she pulled Daphnae into a goodbye kiss which told the rest of us what we had been speculating."_ _

__"That they had been with one another?" Kyra tastes the bitter words as they pass her lips and hated every moment of it._ _

__"More or less, yeah. We have customs here that many don't understand, but Daphnae was always a devout follower so this was the first time she had ever done something outside the rules."_ _

__"How so?"_ _

__"Well, as our leader, she needed to be committed to another Daughter to secure an eventual union, but it went off track when Kassandra arrived."_ _

__"Yeah, Kassandra has that way of uprooting everything you thought you knew. It is some small solace to know that I wasn't the only one so completely enamored with her that it derailed something important in my life."_ _

__"I had never seen Daphnae so happy than when she had been with Kassandra."_ _

__"I believe that too."_ _

__"It was...rough to see."_ _

__Kyra can see a sadness flash over her features and she finds herself wanting to know more. She had gotten what she wanted from Eliana with the knowledge that Kassandra and Daphnae were indeed together, but she finds she also wants to know more about what Eliana was going through. Her own feelings aside, it was the least she could do for her after everything Eliana had done for her._ _

__"What do you mean by that?" Kyra inquires, catching Eliana by surprise._ _

__"Oh, it is nothing. I shouldn't have even said anything." Eliana downplays, but Kyra was not going to let this go._ _

__"I would love to hear it if you're willing. Gods know how much you've been there for me when I needed a friend." Kyra allows a soft chuckle at just how desperate she had been for a sense of companionship. "I'd like to return the favor, that is, if you'll let me."_ _

__"I, uh-, no..." Eliana begins to protest before she clamps her mouth closed, stopping herself from further turning her down. "Actually," Eliana unclenches her jaw, having made a decision on what she wanted to actually do, "that would be kind of nice."_ _

__"By all means, I am listening."_ _

__"Well, you remember the union I spoke of?" Eliana looks to Kyra who gives her an affirmative nod. "Right, well, the woman she was going to be bound to was me."_ _

__"Oh... _ohhhh_." The dots connect in Kyra's mind as she realizes just _why_ Eliana would be so bothered by that. It made perfect sense. "That means that you and her..."_ _

__"Yes, well, nothing official had been put into motion yet, but I was the only one she had ever approached about it so it was easy to see that it would be me." Eliana dawns a small smile as she recounts the moment. "I was elated to be the one standing beside her because I had already been in love with her for a while so this was everything I could have wanted."_ _

__"But then Kassandra came into the picture."_ _

__"Yeah, she did." Eliana's smile fades and something more melancholy takes hold. "She showed me that Daphnae didn't love me back and that she probably never would."_ _

__"So what happened next? Did Daphnae cancel the union between the two of you?"_ _

__"No, that would've been the worst idea for her to do, secondly only to getting involved with Kassandra in the first place that is. If anything, it sped up the process as there was a growing unrest that began soon after Kassandra's departure. There were some more senior villagers that wanted her to be removed from power, so she needed to do this to keep her position. I obliged still because I loved her and, even with her questionable lack of judgment this one instance, I knew she was still the best fit for this role."_ _

__"Hold on," Kyra interjects, a question of this debacle on the tip of her tongue, "does this mean that she's your companion now?"_ _

__"Yes. She and I were bound and have been for a while now." _Uh oh._ "However, it is mostly for show because I do not want to make her uncomfortable."_ _

__"Oh." Kyra finds herself only able to say a very little once more. Each part of this tale just continues to get more complex as she unweaves it and it never ceases to surprise her._ _

__"I haven't told anyone else that before now that I'm thinking about it. I don't know why, but I feel like I can trust you. Is that weird?"_ _

__Kyra smiles sweetly at the kind sentiment. "That's not weird at all because I feel the same way. Just something about you makes me want to tell you everything."_ _

__"It's just that you've been so open with me about practically everything, I feel I can do the same and not have to worry."_ _

__"Tell me something though, truthfully, are you _really_ happy or is it just for show too?"_ _

__"I am not unhappy, but it could always be better. I mean, I am not necessarily thrilled to be with someone who doesn't love me, but I do it because it is the right thing for her and our people."_ _

___For the people._ It is a rhetoric she's told herself again and again, but it never makes a difference. Her feelings were always discarded for the greater good of her people and she too had resigned herself to a life of serving others. Even though the cause has changed course, the responsibilities are still the same and it sapped every ounce of life from her. She dreamed of being free and absolved from the mundane tasks and trivial disputes. She wanted back her freedom and she couldn't be the only one wanting change in her life._ _

__"But don't you get tired of living a life for other people? Don't you just want to be selfish?"_ _

__"If my people are happy, I am too and that is a life that I'm content to lead."_ _

__"But why? Why settle when you could be so much more? Why allow yourself to be governed when you can just walk away?"_ _

__"You don't just walk away from love, Kyra, you learn to adapt. Even a love as one sided as my own has its benefits and I take comfort in the fact that she still chose me when it mattered."_ _

__"Eliana, I don't want to sound rude here," Gods know she didn't, "but it didn't sound much like a choice to me. You said she _had_ to pick and that's called an obligation. You were her best chance at a life that _she_ wanted so she jumped at it."_ _

__"I understand all that, believe me. I have spent many nights wondering if what I did was the right decision, but it doesn't matter now. What's done is done." Eliana shrugs at the last bit to affirm her casual acceptance at how her life was going to be._ _

__Kyra was frustrated, _very_ frustrated by what Eliana was sharing with her. How could someone choose to live a life like this? She's not sure if she's more irritated by Eliana's lack of passion for her life or the reality that it could be her in the same reflection. Kassandra aside, how long had it been since she'd been able to make her own decisions? She could see herself in Eliana's spot and it was bothersome to say the least. Would she really be able to live her life if she continually submitted to others? She could rule as she pleased, but then she'd be no better than Podarkes. Would it really be so bad for her to step away from all that to do what she wanted to? _ _

__"How can you say that? You are your own person and you shouldn't have to live a life you don't want. It just doesn't make any sense!"_ _

__"Love doesn't make sense!" Eliana fires back passionately. "Haven't you ever given up anything for love? Haven't you made concessions for someone you care about? I think you have and I know that if you look deep within yourself, you'll see that you and I aren't so different here. What have you given up for Kassandra? What parts of yourself have you let go for her? I know you understand _exactly_ what I'm doing and I believe you've done the same. Am I wrong?"_ _

__That was a loaded question. Sure, she'd given up some future hopes that she had for Kassandra's sake, but it wasn't at _all_ the same. She wasn't resigning herself to be second best in Kassandra's life... at least, she didn't think so. She never had a reason to doubt Kassandra's love for her until she got that letter about Thaletas. From there, everything then on had been scrutinized to find some hidden agenda. Even now with Daphnae, how is it she hadn't heard a single word about this woman? Was she Kassandra's second best option with Daphnae being removed from contention? Was Kassandra's reason for keeping her a secret because she still loved her? Eliana just may be right, maybe they did have more in common than she wanted to believe._ _

__Eliana takes Kyra's altered demeanor as a step too far and tries to damage control the situation. "Kyra, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have spoken to you like that. It was wrong of me and I am so very sorry."_ _

__Another surprise. Here Eliana was apologizing for something so trivial when she and Kassandra couldn't even end up staying in the same room when they argued._ _

__"I am the one that is sorry." Kyra offers up her apology in response. "I kept pressing you and that wasn't right of me. You're entitled to live your life how you see fit. I just don't want you to be unhappy with your life because you're wonderful and you deserve someone who loves you back just as much."_ _

__"I appreciate that, Kyra, more than you know. I didn't mean to get so pushy myself so I'll forgive you if you forgive me. Deal?"_ _

__This was much easier than she had anticipated. Kyra wasn't used to an argument deescalating so easily and never so suddenly, it was, well, kind of nice. "Is apologizing supposed to be this easy? Because if it is, I think I've been doing it wrong."_ _

__"It isn't always, but I don't like to walk away angry as a rule. Sometimes it happens, but I know emotions are hard and that earns some forgiveness."_ _

__"Huh," Kyra looks to Eliana dumbfounded, "I never thought about it like that."_ _

__"Trust me, it is easier said than done, but practice makes perfect. It still can get tiring, but it is worth it to me." Eliana glances up towards the roof for a moment before her gaze returns back to Kyra. "Speaking of tiring, it is late out and you need rest. It isn't good for you to keep awake like you have been."_ _

__"I can't promise anything, but for you I'll do my best."_ _

__"That's all I ask." Eliana says as she stands up to stretch out a bit. "I'll come by when I can tomorrow to say hello and I'll make sure someone drops off some food for you."_ _

__"Thank you for, well, everything I guess. I was having a very bad night and you made it better by just being here. I appreciate it more than you know."_ _

__"Anytime, I mean that. Sweet dreams Kyra." Eliana waves a tiny goodbye before she makes her exit, leaving Kyra alone with her thoughts._ _

__There was so many negative things she could dwell on, most from today alone, but she finds she doesn't want to. Her conversation with Eliana had provided her with a bigger morale boost than she could've anticipated. It also gave her some life altering decisions to think on, but that is something she'd tack tomorrow. For now, she was going to try to sleep peacefully and focus on getting herself better._ _

__Kyra hadn't managed to go to sleep for quite a while after Eliana left (much to her dismay). It was light enough for the brightness of the outside to cascade into the room, illuminating the shadows of everything around her. Only then was she able to fall asleep because, as much as she tried, her mind was too bustling to shut down. Although she didn't want to think of anything on the more negative side, it turned out most of her life did indeed fall into that category as of right now. It wasn't anywhere near as dark as it had been only a night ago so she considered it a form of progress. Her day had ended up being slept away, but she was alright with it._ _

__She had only been awake for maybe a few minutes before Eliana popped her head inside to check on her._ _

__"Hey sleepy head, glad to see you awake finally."_ _

__"I guess I find it easier to sleep in the day, I hope that isn't a problem?"_ _

__"No problem at all actually, in fact, it makes it a bit easier for me since that's when I'm usually the busiest. Daphnae has a special job for me so that takes my time a good part of the day so you being asleep doesn't make me feel so bad."_ _

__"You know you're not obligated to be here with me right? I can take care of myself, contrary to what you may believe." Kyra smirks at the end to let Eliana know she's joking, but she seemed to miss the gesture._ _

__"I had never thought that about you that way. I know you can handle yourself." Eliana defends herself unnecessarily._ _

__"Relax," Kyra chuckles, "I was only teasing you. Seriously though, if you have other things to do, I can keep myself entertained."_ _

__"Well aren't you feisty?" Eliana arches a brow at her as she smiles. "Guess I'll have to ask someone else to go on patrol with me..."_ _

__"Wait, seriously?" Kyra perks up at the thought of being permitted to stretch her legs and roam around a bit. "I can go with you?"_ _

__"You sure can! I checked with Daphnae and told her it would do you good to get some activity and she agreed. Her only rule was that if there was trouble, that we not engage and to report back immediately. Can you handle that?"_ _

__"Can I?" Kyra scoffs. "I can do a flip if it means getting some fresh air."_ _

__"Can you really do a flip?" Eliana asks in all seriousness._ _

__"I don't know actually, I've never tried. Can you imagine how good I would look doing a flip?" Kyra's eyes light up as her imagination is providing her endless possibilities, but Eliana just tosses some fresh clothes at her face to get her attention._ _

__"Get dressed before I decide you're too much of a danger to yourself. I can already see the injuries piling up."_ _

__"Yes ma'am." Kyra mocks in a salute and she makes quick work of her clothes. Her ribs had felt better and, although they weren't healed, they didn't ache by just her breathing anymore._ _

__The patrol wasn't at all thrilling and Kyra's secret hopes of something being amiss was shot down as they made their final walk into the center of the village. Even for it being rather mundane, it was a nice change of pace and scenery and that counted for something. They had talked almost the whole time about everything and nothing, some of it was trivial nonsense, but she also got to find out what made Eliana, well, Eliana. Little quirks here and there, something she wouldn't have ever known otherwise, but nothing so groundbreaking that it would change her perspective. All in all, the day had gone well._ _

__They were just a few huts away from Kyra's when Eliana turned towards her rather abruptly. "Kyra, go wait by your room, I have something I need to take care of."_ _

__"Um, alright. Sure thing." Kyra hesitantly agrees. Eliana doesn't even wait around for an answer before she stormed over towards an older lady. Kyra recognized her as the one who was so rude to her when she first got looked at and it was clear from the intensity of Eliana's face that this conversation was serious. As much as she wanted to know what they were saying, she knew better than to break her word, not even over something this small._ _

__It wasn't long before their raised voices garnered the attention of the rest of their village and Kyra did her best to blend into the background. She did not want to get involved in whatever this was about and she'd just ask Eliana for a recap anyway when it was over. She was confident that she'd know what she needed too once Eliana returned._ _

__The argument didn't take as long as Kyra had anticipated, probably because she heard Daphnae's voice rise above all the rest. Still, she stayed put and kicked around a loose pebble until Eliana appeared back before her._ _

__"What was that about?" Kyra inquires innocently. "You looked ready to kill that lady."_ _

__"She dared to challenge Daphnae's orders publicly and I couldn't let that stand. If she has an issue, she can speak to Daphnae, but gossip is never the answer."_ _

__There was a righteous fury within Eliana's voice and Kyra found it to be rather adorable all things considered. She had never seen Eliana so riled up and it was rather enjoyable to watch her get so heated. She was absolutely going to capitalize on this._ _

__"So willing to protect your woman's reputation that you'd risk your own getting sullied? That's mighty chivalrous of you." Kyra teases._ _

__"Like you wouldn't have done the same." Any trace of defensiveness Eliana had up before was long gone and she appeared to be back to her regular and bubbly self. "Guess we're both a little lovesick, huh?"_ _

__Kyra took mild offense until she heard a small laugh rising up from Eliana. Her laughter was so sweet and, just like her, it had an infectious sort of feel to it. Kyra couldn't help but laugh along with her. It felt so good too, it was something she didn't do nearly enough as she's not had much to laugh about, but doing it now felt right. Her head tilts back as she laughs even harder, both of them caught in whatever frenzy they found themselves in. It didn't last for very long, but it was incredibly therapeutic and Kyra found herself feeling much better._ _

__A shout in the distance broke their fits of laughter as the name that rose above their own voices was one Kyra had a vested interest in. She was the first to register Kassandra's name being shouted and her laughter was quickly replaced with concern as she looks over towards the direction of the voice. This leads to Kyra spotting Kassandra laying flat on her back in the dirt, a small opening in the growing crowd allowed her to see what was going on._ _

__She wants to rush to her side, but something in her mind tells her to stay put once she spots Daphnae beside her. _"She doesn't need you, she has who she needs. You'd only be in the way. She doesn't want you."_ The voice within her mind that had been at bay seems to have chosen now as the time to make itself known again. The longer she stands there just observing, the less opportunity she'll have of speaking to Kassandra, but she can't get herself to move. She watches as Daphnae hoists her upright and Kyra let's out a small sigh of relief that she's even able to be standing. Her inner thoughts be damned, she needed to see Kassandra._ _

__With her body now back in her control, Kyra begins to run towards them. "Kassandra!" She calls out in an attempt to slow them down, but it only seems to speed them up._ _

__Once she caught up with them, two of the women following them spin around to block her path. Irritated by the unexpected delay, Kyra tries to scoot by them, but they match her movements. Why were they doing this? Didn't they know who she was by this point?_ _

__Kyra looks on as Kassandra gets further out of view and their eyes meet before the door shuts. What Kyra seeks was not what she finds as Kassandra stares at her with such a scowl. No, it was worse than that, it was a look of indifference. Completely devoid of anything other than disdain and it paused Kyra in her tracks. Kassandra had clearly not forgiven her after their last fight and perhaps she felt even angrier now that she's had time to dwell on it. Any progress that Kyra had made reverted back to nothing in that moment and she found herself wanting to wallow._ _

__The days pass by in a haze and Kyra can feel herself reverting to her old ways. It was hard to function knowing Kassandra hated her guts and it was even harder because that's _all_ she ended up thinking about. That dark place she had tried to free herself from was creeping its way back and she wasn't sure if she wanted to fight it anymore._ _

__Eliana had tried to get her more active, but Kyra had refused all her attempts to get her out and about. She had no desire to go on patrol, she had no will for much of anything._ _

__"Kyra, please, you need to do something." Eliana pleads with her as she steps further into the room._ _

__"I already told you, I don't want to patrol."_ _

__"What if I told you that we _didn't_ have to patrol? What if it was something more fun?"_ _

__"I'd say I don't believe you."_ _

__"Oh come on, I know I found something that you'd love to do. I promise." Eliana raises her hand over her heart._ _

__"Fine," Kyra relents, "what did you have in mind?"_ _

__"Hunting."_ _

__"Hunting?" Kyra ponders the word for a bit to figure out what she wants and she can say that it doesn't sound horrible. "I guess that sounds nice."_ _

__"Great! Come with me, I just need to grab a few pieces of gear and then we can head out."_ _

__The two of them make their way to a guarded hut, their armory most likely. Eliana had warned her that outsiders were not permitted inside so she waited patiently for her outside, at least, until she spotted a familiar figure._ _

__Just ahead of her was Kassandra standing with her back to her. She took advantage of the lack of acknowledgement and glanced over Kassandra's body. Her arm was now in a new sling and her wrappings seemed a bit old, but still relatively new. Before she knew it, she had walked right up to Kassandra and was standing within arm's length._ _

__She should just apologize now while she has the chance, but she doesn't and, instead, engages in an attempt to small talk._ _

__"How are you doing?"_ _

__Kassandra jumps a bit at her question, a rare sight as the mighty Kassandra was always on her guard._ _

__"Fine."_ _

__"What happened?" Kyra knew she didn't need to specify for Kassandra to know what she was talking about._ _

__"It was an accident." Kassandra answers swiftly, remaining as vague as ever._ _

__A long silence passes between them and the tension building is almost suffocating. It felt like time was slowing down to a halt. Kyra noticed Kassandra repeatedly looking towards the door in a (most probably) chance to escape her._ _

__"Kassandra, please. Can you look at me?" Kyra knew she sounded a bit desperate, but she didn't care. She needed to hash this out with her before it got even further out of hand._ _

__Kassandra's jaw tenses, a small but subtle shift, and Kyra knew that wasn't a good sign. "I have to go." Kassandra offers a rushed excuse before she tries to literally _flee_. "Take care."_ _

__Kyra was out of options. Short of tossing herself at Kassandra's feet, she wasn't really sure what else she could say to her. She needed to say something else to get her to stay. "Don't leave me like this."_ _

__It worked, at least a little bit, because Kassandra had paused in her tracks, but it fails to get what Kyra had been after. Kassandra had gone out of her way to steer clear of her at any given moment and it is almost like she's actively using the Daughter's to force distance between them. She didn't want this to be their story's end._ _

__"I can't leave something that's already gone."_ _

__Her words were a cold reality slap to Kyra's face as Kassandra walked away without a further glance. She felt like her body had been submerged back into the icy cold water of the sea with how little air she could get to her lungs. What did Kassandra even mean by this? Couldn't she see that she was still right here? Even after her dark times she _still_ was here for her._ _

__The words were eerily haunting and, even as Eliana returned and the two went to hunt, she could think of nothing more than what Kassandra had said to her. She needed to figure out what it meant, but every possible answer only got worse._ _

__Had Kassandra finally given up on her too?_ _


	10. Circles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all have a good chunk of time on your hands because this update is huuuuuge!
> 
> This chapter is different from what I first had planned because I made a promise to a reader that I would do something lighter and less angsty so here we are lol. I had _intended_ on it only being a moment of happy, but (as it turns out), I made the whole thing virtually angst free!
> 
> Guess the self proclaimed queen of angst needed a bit of fluff in her life too 😂
> 
> Post Malone - Circles  
> https://youtu.be/0sca9FP6zl8

Today was the day.

Kassandra had found herself actually excited for once, even if it was something so small as a supervised walk. Eliana was someone she could enjoy if given enough time and she did seem like she genuinely cared for her health and recovery. It was refreshing to have someone speaking to her so directly, both Eliana and Daphnae had been brutally forward that she'd almost forgotten that that's how it should be. She'd been spending far too long running around her problems that it became a second nature to just avoid them. She wasn't necessarily proud of how she had been handling things, but she'd been caught up in the moment and just reacted.

Far too often she'd been acting first without thinking and it was just so unlike her. It didn't make sense to do it, but she just felt so compulsive all of a sudden. She's _always_ got a plan, that's just who she is, but it hasn't been so easy lately. She's coming up blank and it is frustrating, enough so that it's starting to impair her. If she were to look at her reflection right now, she's not even sure she'd recognize who she saw. Everything was changing, it happened with life, but these changes weren't good. They were toxic and it was eating her from the inside out. 

Her attitude, her disregard for anyone, her apathy, _all_ of that came from somewhere within her and that hadn't terrified her as much as it should have. She was a misthios, sure, but that didn't mean she didn't have a code. Even if it was a very, _very_ loose one, it was better than nothing. Respect was her first rule first and foremost and she wasn't getting it nor was she giving it. Not with Kyra, not with Daphnae, not with anyone. She was just unhinged and lashed out at anyone around her regardless of provocation. Nothing she'd been doing would've been something she accepted from anyone else so why was she permitting herself to be like this?

The only control she had in her life was over what she did and how she chose to handle everything, but she couldn't even manage that. Something had broken inside her, something important, but she didn't know what. Nothing was making sense anymore and everything was upside down and the colors began to fade to gray. It wasn't just one thing changing, it was _everything_ all at once and she just couldn't deal. There were very few things she couldn't do, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized just how wrong she was. She had kept a blind eye to so many things out of ego or ignorance and those were precisely what she should've paid attention to. Now, well, now she was paying the consequences for her hubris. Her life was dissolving before her very eyes and she could only watch as it happened. 

A knock outside broke her out of her mini crisis, forcing her to stay rooted in the present. It was getting progressively easier to lose herself in her mind that there may come a time when she can't get back from it. Thankfully, that wasn't just yet and she _was_ able to keep it together (even if it was barely). 

Eliana makes her way inside, offering Kassandra a warm smile and a small wave. "Morning! You ready to get going?"

The honest truth was no, but she wasn't about to utter those words now. She hadn't done anything to prepare herself for this because she got caught up in the webs within her mind, but she would make due with what she could. She was already dressed (having not undressed from yesterday) and her bandages seemed clean enough so the only thing she would be without was food (which wasn't new).

"Ready as I'll ever be." Kassandra responds as she works herself up from the bed. She takes great care to not look weak because she knows if she couldn't even stand up that she could kiss this bout of freedom goodbye.

"Great! It isn't much that we're doing as I don't want to strain you, but we will be out and you'll get some fresh air."

"So what exactly _are_ we doing? It can't just be to take a leisurely stroll. There has to be a purpose to this."

"Perceptive as ever!" Eliana praises with a smile. "We're going to be checking the perimeter and, depending on how you're feeling, we're going to go up near the ruins to scout out if it has remained empty."

Kassandra flashes back to her blind rage massacre back what must've only been a handful of days ago, but it somehow felt like such a distant memory. The passage of time had not been very kind to her as of late so some events feel like they've just happened while others feel like a lifetime. She could still remember the feeling that coursed through her as she laid waste to anyone in her path like they were nothing. She'd never lost control of herself like that before and she's not sure how she managed what she did, but she _did_ learn something from the whole ordeal. She learned that there were still powers within her that she had yet to realize and that she just needed the right motivation to activate them.

Of course Eliana knows none of this and she was fine in letting her more dark deeds go unnoticed. She was unaware at just how much Daphnae had shared with her and she wasn't yet convinced that she was someone she could trust with such a secret. Perhaps she should test what Eliana knows to know how much she could say? Kassandra wouldn't lie and say she wasn't curious to know the ruins current state given how she left it because she absolutely was. She had just left bodies literally _everywhere_ and there was still a good chance most of the bodies would still be in moderately good shape. She hadn't been in the right frame of mind to even loot the bodies because of how focused she was on finding Kyra, there was probably something she had left behind on accident. There was no doubt about it now, she was _going_ to those ruins, with or without her.

"I doubt anyone would keep a home there, it was in pretty bad shape from what I remember of it." Kassandra baits with something vague enough to be plausible for her just to have just casually walked through it.

"Yeah, it isn't the best shape, but there wasn't much we could do. We were outnumbered and our resources couldn't all be focused on them."

This means she at least knew Kassandra had been there, but that's pretty common knowledge by this point. Either she knew more and just wasn't saying out of some sort of politeness or she had no clue. It was just a shame they both looked the same at first glance.

"Did you hear just how it got emptied?" Kassandra inquires, seemingly innocent to the naked eye.

"I've heard rumors, but only Daphnae knows the truth and she just told us Artemis had a hand in it."

Well, she wouldn't credit Artemis for whatever power she wielded, but it was a noble idea. It also meant she didn't know anything about Kassandra's involvement so there was a bit of relief there. She hadn't expected Daphnae to keep her word so intensely, but she had underestimated her word and it wasn't something she'd mistake again. She'd already pushed her luck once with her even being alive, she didn't need a second test. Now, however, she needed them to shift topics before Kassandra had to make up a lie.

"How often do you do perimeter checks? It seems pretty scarce of anything that isn't a bear. Chios is lovely, but it isn't heavily populated, at least not up here."

"Every day, we just rotate who does it. We look for signs of any camps or disruptions to the natural balance."

"Have you always done them?"

"No. They actually began the night you left if you can believe it, we wanted to ensure you hadn't hidden away to get revenge."

Now this was news to her and it showed on her face. "I caused your perimeter checks? Wow, I had no idea. I'm not sure if I should apologize for that or not because this seems like a waste of time."

Eliana leans up against the frame of the door opening. "Let me put it like this," her arms crossing over one another, "if it wasn't for you, we'd have suffered greater casualties when those hooded men arrived."

"Huh, guess I never thought about it like that."

"They might feel like a waste of time, but there's a reason we do them. You just have to remind yourself that as you're walking."

"Speaking of," Kassandra segways yet again, "I think we should get going, don't you?"

"Hey, I'm not the one starting the idle conversation. That's all you."

"Yeah, yeah," Kassandra waves her off as she walks forward, her legs feeling better, "let's just get out of here before Daphnae changes her mind."

Eliana props herself up and leads the both of them on a very long walk. Kassandra's legs had not been use to this activity in a long time and she knew she'd be sore tomorrow because of it, but that was a problem for future Kassandra. Right now, she was going to keep taking those deep breaths of fresh air and letting the smell of the forest dance around her. It wasn't the same as the sea, but it was almost as good. There was a certain charm to nature that only came in the untapped wilds and Chios was brimming with them.

"Are you even paying attention?" Eliana calls her out on her momentary escape, looking rather amused about it too.

"Nope." She answers honestly. "I've been too busy enjoying what's around me. Being cooped up on a ship and then sent to a small hut doesn't sit well with someone who wanders like I do. I'm not meant to be caged and, now that I'm free, I'm spreading my wings."

"Well, please be a _bit_ more perceptive as you let your inner eagle soar. I don't want to have to come back out here later because we missed something."

"I will be vigilant from now on, you have my word." Kassandra places her fist over her heart in a show of the promise.

They indulge in small talk for the majority of their walk and it turned out to be as uneventful as Kassandra had anticipated. Still though, it was something to get her active so she wouldn't balk at it. Eliana explains to her the differences between the areas and how even the smallest shift in land formation could alter what sorts of animals made a home. It was a knowledgeable trip (if nothing else) and, overall, she was happy with how this it turned out. She had held up the whole time and Eliana had agreed to take her to see the ruins for their scouting mission.

"We need to be careful, we don't know if they're still lurking anywhere." Eliana pauses, turning towards her to relay the warning. "We have orders to not engage."

"Nobody will be there, I'm sure of it." Kassandra responds, withholding some key details as to just _how_ she's knows this.

"These men just vanished, do not take it as a surrender."

 _"Oh they surrendered alright."_ Kassandra mutters under her breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing important, don't worry. Let's just get closer so I can see."

The two of them walk up near the lower entrance and before Kassandra could walk any further, Eliana moves her arm out in front of her. "This is as far as we go."

"You're joking." Kassandra snickers, thinking this was just her being messed with, but one look at Eliana's face told her that she was dead serious. "You're not joking, are you?"

"We were to scout and that was all. I don't hear anyone nor do I see smoke from a fire."

"You cannot possibly know from that alone." Kassandra rakes her hands over the top of her and down the back of her braid. "I don't know how many times I've not started a fire for that reason alone. The only way to know is for us to walk through it."

"The answer is no, Kassandra." Eliana shuts her down, ceasing any further negotiations. "We have our orders and that's that."

Kassandra looks up towards the top of the hill where she tapped into that power, making herself a silent promise to return when the coast was clear. Something was telling her to come back and she hadn't gotten this far by not listening to her instincts. If Daphnae and Eliana wouldn't help her, she'd do it on her own. For now, she'd need to play into their good graces and behave until she knew what to do next.

"Fine. Whatever you say, Eliana." Kassandra takes a step back motioning for her to lead the way for the remainder of their patrol.

Gauging Eliana's reaction at her quick concession, it seemed like she was expecting more of a fight, but little did she know that that's exactly what she was going to do. She was her own woman and, while she respected Daphnae, it didn't mean she knew what was best for her. This was bigger than anyone could've ever imagined and she alone was the one who could change the fates and she couldn't do that under the rule of another. She just needed an excuse to get back over here again and she needed to do it before she ran out of time.

The remainder of the patrol went smoothly and Kassandra listened as Eliana told story after story, opting to remain silent herself. She was in no mood to pretend and she didn't want to take her frustration out on Eliana. She _was_ just following orders and doing this for Daphnae so Kassandra couldn't fault her for being so cautious. She  
_did_ have a "less than perfect" track record when it came to injuries and mishaps as of late.

Once they get back into the center of the village, Eliana puts her hand on her arm and pulls her off to the side. "There's something I need to talk to you about."

Immediately, she begins to think worst case scenario and wonders what was wrong. Were they getting kicked out? Had Kyra done something? Her mind was racing, but she at least had the foresight to keep her face neutral.

"I didn't mention it on our patrol because I wanted you to have a good day, but I have to tell you now..."

_Oh god._

"You and Kyra have to share a room now. We've moved you both from the medical hut and Daphnae's room and you'll now be sharing one used by our scouting party."

"That's it?" The build up had made it sound like something horrific had happened. 

"I just remember you saying you didn't want to so I just didn't want you to be surprised."

She had said that, that was true. She'd forgotten about it shortly after the initial discussion and she'd _definitely_ forgotten to talk to talk to Daphnae about it. Guess her window of opportunity had closed and she was stuck with the outcome.

"Right, I did, thank you for that."

"Are you going to be alright?"

Eliana's question seemed genuine and, although she was still hesitant of her relationship with Kyra, it still appeared to be a gesture of good will. She _also_ remembered the lecture she received courtesy of Eliana about the subject of cohabitation and she did not want to go down that path a second time.

"I will be just fine, thank you for your concern."

"That's really good to hear." Eliana smiles warmly towards her. "It is just over here, Kyra's already inside and Daphnae took the liberty of moving your belongings so everything should be ready."

"Thanks for today, I really enjoyed it and I don't know if I've properly thanked you yet."

"It was my pleasure and it was nice to have some new company." A bell rings in the distance and Eliana looks over her shoulder before returning her attention back to Kassandra. "I've got to go now as there's more for me to do today, but you should take it easy and relax."

"Yes ma'am." Kassandra responds with a wink and a fist holding strong over her heart in a playful salute.

Eliana gives her a small laugh and a nod in return before she joins another group near the center hut. Kassandra was a bit curious as to what they were doing, but it wasn't her place to pry. Instead, she'd have to deal with the awkward mess that was her and Kyra for the rest of the night. She'd _definitely_ been avoiding her and Kyra probably knew as much by this point. Her most recent words to her were not the kindest so there was a good chance Kyra was going to be angry at her.

"You can do this." Kassandra thinks to herself as she gives a small courtesy knock to warn Kyra of company before she enters.

Upon entering, she notices a complete difference between this hut and Daphnae's. Multiple beds were lined up against the same wall, leaving little to no space between them. There also seemed to be a lack of just about anything as the only personal items she noted were from both herself and Kyra. Daphnae's room had armor, trophies, weapons, but this room was completely barren sans Kyra, their belongings, and some... wooden blocks?

"It isn't so bad once you get used to it." Kyra comments without looking up at her, breaking the silence that's been stemming between them for so long. "It is kind of nice to have the space back."

Kassandra doesn't respond to her as she's more intrigued in what Kyra is doing exactly. Kyra has her dagger out and it looks like she's carving something in the block she's holding. It reminded her of the figures she'd found in Kyra's old home and in Podarkes' office. 

"What are you doing?" Kassandra asks before she can stop herself.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Kyra answers her a bit sharply in a "pointing out the obvious" kind of tone.

"I mean, it looks like you're making more figurines." 

Kyra halts her whittling for only a moment before she resumes it back like nothing. "Yup."

 _"Ok Kassandra, you're really not doing yourself any favors right now."_

"So why now?" Kassandra inquires in an attempt at small talk and she could almost roll her eyes at how cringey this was becoming.

"It isn't like I can do much and there's only so long I can handle being my only company." That last part was most definitely directed at her, a small jab at her glaring absence. "I needed something to keep me busy so I decided to give it another try."

"When did you start it? It looks pretty far along."

"Earlier this morning. Eliana dropped it off before she took you on your patrol."

"Oh, that's nice of her to do. Seems like you've taken quite the liking to her." Kassandra comments, regretting it almost immediately as she said it. It made her sound jealous and, even though she was, Kyra didn't need to know that.

"What isn't there to like? She's very sweet, caring, and reliable to just name a few." Kyra doesn't even hesitate to list off her most noble attributes. "I don't think I'd be doing as well as I am without her."

"I, uh-," Kassandra falters off, unsure of just how to respond to the mess she started. Eliana had been here for Kyra when she wasn't and it wasn't something she could be upset about. As much as they've been fighting, she didn't want Kyra to suffer ultimately, even if that mean another person was comforting her. "I'm glad she's been able to help you."

"Are you?" Kyra calls her out immediately, even pausing what she was doing so she could look up at her.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Kassandra answers a bit defensively with her hands planting firmly on her hips, knowing full well that Kyra can trip her up here if she chooses.

Kyra regards her for a moment and it feels like the two of them are the only ones to exist at this moment in time. Kassandra couldn't place what look graced Kyra's face nor did she know why this moment of observation was happening, but she wouldn't back down from her judgment. She took this opportunity to get a good look at Kyra too and she seemed in better shape than when they last really spoke. The exhaustion was still there, but it wasn't as intense and the color had returned to Kyra's skin in a healthy way. She looked good all things considered and that was both good news and bad.

The good news was that she _was_ looking like she used to before all this. She looked like there was still some life to her, an almost glow to her cheeks that had been lost for so long. She appeared to be sleeping better too and that was something she had struggled with for quite a while. Slowly and surely, the Kyra she knew was looking more and more like a reality than just a figment of her imagination. However, her seemingly flourishing new lease on life had nothing to do with her. Kassandra had not made this easy for her in retrospect, but she proved she could get better without her. It wasn't that Kassandra wanted her to stay miserable, but it looked to be that her improvement came from her own self imposed absence, meaning that Kyra did better when she wasn't around. It was a bittersweet realization, but as long as Kyra was happy, that's all she could really ask for.

In a surprising turn of events, Kyra doesn't press her any further on this show of compassion and, instead, just accepts her words at face value. "If you say so."

It would have almost been better if she _had_ pushed because now she had nothing to go off from. She wasn't about to stand here and praise Eliana to Kyra, but it seemed that Eliana was far more ingrained in Kyra than she had thought. Why did she even want a conversation anyway? Wasn't she the one ignoring her? She had gone out of her way to keep away from Kyra and now, not even ten seconds in, she was trying to keep them from just sitting in silence. She needed to make up her mind and stop being so indecisive.

"Are you just going to stand there and stare at me?" Kyra comments and it makes Kassandra realize that she's _still_ looking at her.

Quickly looking at anything in the room that wasn't Kyra, Kassandra rubs the back of her neck in embarrassment. "Sorry."

"Want to try it?" Kyra asks, holding out one of the wooden blocks to her. "It isn't that hard and it is rather soothing, well, it is when you don't cut yourself." Kyra holds up her hand and it was completely covered in small knicks from either the wood or her dagger missing the mark. 

"I've never made anything like that before, I'd probably make something ugly." Kassandra dismisses the offer, more out of a self conscious concern than anything. She tended to not start something she wasn't good at in front of others. Her best was only what they ever got to see, but Kyra wasn't just anyone. 

"Even ugly things have a beauty, you just have to look a little harder. Nothing is wrong with your first work not being a masterpiece."

"But what if I'm no good?" Kassandra offers up a moment of vulnerability unintentionally, having given a voice to a doubt that always lingered within her and the real reason why she was hesitant to accept. 

"You're not going to be good at everything, Kassandra. It is perfectly fine to have something you're not the best at, but you won't know unless you try. Plus, your arm is still healing so you can just attribute any failures to that." Kyra stops her carving and motions to the bed next to her with a flick of her chin. "Why don't I show you and you can decide after that?"

"I can do that, yeah." Kassandra takes a seat next to Kyra and she could feel a calmness that she'd been missing restoring within her. Even in their bad times, Kyra always had a way to bring her back into a sense of serenity. Just being in a close enough proximity was usually enough to quell her most nervous moments. Most of all though, it made her miss her.

Forcing herself away from Kyra had been like losing a limb, but it was her own fault for reacting how she did. She hadn't meant to be so extreme, but hearing Kyra say such things just shattered her. It hurt so much to know that she was fighting to preserve what they had while Kyra was willing to toss it all away. She should just swallow her pride and apologize, but there was still a part of her that knew she wasn't in the wrong. She was tired of always having to concede, but she was equally as tired on putting up a front. This was a no win situation and, just once, she didn't want to draw the short end of the stick.

"The key is following the grain, otherwise you're probably going to make it look really disfigured. You also want to push the blade in a little at a time, making a scoop so it comes off nice and clean. The rest will come with practice."

Kassandra watches as Kyra goes through the motions, but she finds herself watching Kyra more than she watches what she's doing. She can see Kyra's brow scrunch up in concentration as she works on the finer details and all Kassandra thinks is just how cute she looked like this. She'd never seen Kyra so focused on something like this before and it was something she wanted to see more of. Kassandra could see the care Kyra took in what she did and even when she made a mistake, she kept on and tried to not repeat it. 

"Now it is your turn." Kyra looks over her shoulder as she holds out the figure she'd been working on. "Just try to envision what you want and it makes it easier to follow."

"Are you sure you want me to use yours? I'd feel bad if I ruined it for you."

"I can make another if I really want to. I promise that whatever happens to it is fine, I just want you to give it a try."

With a request like that, she couldn't say no. Kassandra takes the figure and Kyra's dagger and she tries to replicate what she saw Kyra doing. Her grip wasn't as strong as it should've been in her right hand and she felt the figure moving more than it probably should've, but she was determined to see this through. However, it doesn't work out as well as she'd hope as within the first few minutes, she'd not only taken a large chunk off of this things neck, but she's dropped it and chipped the bottom right corner. Her hands were shaky and covered in small little cuts from sharpness of some of the carving, but they still seemed to be alright.

Well, they _were_ alright.

As Kassandra was working on a more finite detail, Kyra moved her hand to Kassandra's thigh to get a better look and it all went downhill fast. Kassandra had been so unaware of Kyra's proximity that the touch caused her brain to blank, resulting in the blade going clear off the figure and slicing right across her middle three fingers. The blood began to release in a concentrated flow all while Kassandra was still processing the feel of Kyra's hand on her. If not for Kyra jostling beside her, she probably wouldn't have even noticed her wound.

"Your hand!" Kyra exclaims as she rushes to stand so she can reach her valuables. "Just hold tight, I've got something here to help stop the bleeding."

Kassandra looks to her hand to see the blood flowing and her only thought was that she missed the feel of Kyra's touch. She had never been a person who needed the smaller gestures, but she hadn't even realized how much she missed them from Kyra until now and that almost cost her _literal_ fingers.

"Here, let me see your hand." Kyra grabs for her and Kassandra offers up her hand, still holding the figure.

Kyra just smacks it away, letting it clatter to the ground, splitting in two where Kassandra had messed up earlier.

"Oh no! I broke your thing!" Kassandra looks in disappointment as the little man they'd been working on lays decapitated beside her.

"Your hand is bleeding and your worried about that?."

"But it was yours and it was important to you, I didn't mean to destroy it." Kassandra wasn't so sure why she was getting worked up about a stupid little toy, but it probably had to do with the fact that it was yet _another_ thing of Kyra's that she ruined. It was the final straw on a much larger pile of repression that she'd been avoiding. 

"Kassandra, _you're_ what's important to me, not some piece of wood." Kyra speaks more softly than usual as she holds the piece of cloth in her palm. "That is replaceable, you're not."

Kassandra swallows hard in an attempt to keep her emotions in check at Kyra's words. It was stupid for her to be like this, but just hearing those words had made her realize a big part of her problem. She was always worried that once she wasn't of use anymore that she'd be discarded. Her livelihood revolved on her being needed and she hadn't realized how much that had impacted her life. When it came to Kyra, she was terrified that she would be replaced once her usefulness ran out. What purpose would she have in her life if Kyra couldn't benefit from her?

"Hey, look at me please." Kyra requests and Kassandra is hard pressed to say no. Kassandra turns to face her and Kyra's face softens, giving her a smile that made her heart beat faster. "It was an accident and all that matters to me is that you're safe. I shouldn't have pushed you to do this so this is on me."

"On you?" Kassandra looks at her confused. "I don't see how any of this is your fault. You didn't force me to do this."

"No, but I did touch you and that's when you made the mistake. I made you uncomfortable and, for that, I'm sorry."

"I was the furthest thing from uncomfortable, trust me." Kassandra offhandedly responds, only realizing the implications to just what she's saying after the fact.

Kassandra can hear a hitch in Kyra's breath, but nothing comes from it and Kyra's attention remains on her hand. She wasn't even sure what she had wanted to say to all of this because it was clear there was some unsettled issues between them still. She couldn't in good faith go from ignoring her to wanting her touch, it didn't make any sense. Yet she still felt the pull and she felt the connection with Kyra, the same one she's always had. It was like she couldn't get her mind and her heart aligned and they just kept sending her body conflicting signals.

"I think this is going to scar," Kyra changes the subject ever so slightly and Kassandra is grateful for it, "the cut was pretty deep. I don't know if what I have here is enough to help." Kyra presses the cloth firmly into her hand. "Keep a hold of this cloth to absorb the blood, it should hopefully stop before I need to change it."

"You forget, I can heal myself."

"Can you still?" Kyra asks in all seriousness. 

"Yes? At least I think so." Kyra's doubts makes her reevaluate if she even still can. It had been several days since they got here by this point and she was still in pretty rough shape, but she hadn't been sleeping very well. Now that she's had some rest, she's been making great improvements (even with the momentary setbacks). She's up and walking when she probably shouldn't be and her arm was no longer numb like it had been encased in ice. She'd still need to do something small to test her abilities out and see what she's earned back and what's still missing, but she was fairly confident they were still something she possessed.

"It's just that every time I tend to run into you, something has happened. It is like you have a new injury each day," Kyra motions up towards Kassandra's new facial scar, "it worries me."

"I appreciate your concern, but I've only had minor issues since I got here. I'm doing much better than I was and this," Kassandra's eyes look up towards her forehead, "doesn't even hurt anymore."

"Oh yeah?" Kyra challenges. "Let's see about that."

Before Kassandra could ask what she means, Kyra's thumb presses against the inner bridge of her nose where the (now second) newest injury was located. The pressure from the touch sent a sharp pain to her forehead, worse than any headache she had ever felt.

"Ow!" Kassandra swats Kyra's hand away, noting the distinct look of an "I told you so" waiting to be unleashed. She didn't want to get into that so it was best to just concede immediately and save them both the hassle. "Fine! Ok, maybe it isn't totally pain free yet, _but_ it is better than it was."

"How did you manage that by the way? It looks like it was painful to get."

"Ummmm..." Kassandra flashes back to literally _the_ most uncool way to get a new mark and she cringes.

"Oh, that bad huh? Now you _have_ to tell me!"

"You have to promise not to laugh."

"Oh Kassandra, now I _know_ this is going to be hilarious!" Kyra looks at her with a newfound excitement and Kassandra knew then and there that she was going to tell her, even if she laughed.

"I... fell."

"You fell? Last I knew the ground couldn't do damage like that so there is more to this story that you're holding out on. Come on, spill it."

"I don't even remember when I did it specifically, but Daphnae and I were in her tent and she wasn't listening to me so I stood up and kind of... tripped over myself. Next thing I knew, I was walking up hours later with a massive headache and this baby."

Kassandra was waiting for her to laugh, but she never does. Instead, her features soften as she reaches out a hand to ghost over the new mark.

"I don't know why you'd think I'd laugh at that. You could've had something worse happen to you! Did you hit something on the way down?"

"Yeah, Daphnae told me I landed face first into the corner of her chest, hitting hard enough that it knocked me unconscious."

At Daphnae's name, Kyra's hand withdrew from her and she felt its absence immediately. She and Kyra hadn't discussed Daphnae and her relationship with her, but by Kyra's actions, it is clear she knew something. It was a subject she had been avoiding because she really didn't know how to explain just what happened between them, but she knew she would have to eventually. Kyra probably only knew local gossip and she could only imagine the monster they painted her out to be. 

"I haven't spoken to her yet, but I know what Eliana has shared and she seems nice."

"She is." Kassandra confirms as it was true after all. "She's also completely devoted to her people at all costs." How true that was, she knew it firsthand.

"Eliana spoke very highly of her leadership skills so I can imagine. Must be hard to live for someone else like that, with her devotion to Artemis and all."

Kassandra knows that Kyra must know more than she's sharing, but (for whatever reason) she's not commenting directly on it. She hadn't even told Kyra that she even knew who Daphnae was (although she knows Kyra's connected those pieces). People liked to gossip and there is little doubt in her mind that Kyra knows all about the two of them in some fashion, but she doesn't know just how much Kyra actually knows. Her comments are a bit too on the nose to just be a coincidence so, perhaps, this was her subtle way of getting her side of the story. She wasn't ready to talk about it though, not yet at least. She wanted to enjoy the moment together where they weren't arguing and the odds were good that's where it would go if she told Kyra about them now. It could wait for a better time.

"I'm sure it wasn't easy, but good leaders can make the hard decisions when others can't. It is a sacrifice I know she's willing to make and I respect her for having such a conviction."

"Right." Kyra agrees, sounding a bit detached. "Let's see that hand now, I want to see if it stopped bleeding." Kyra opens up Kassandra's fist and the formerly white cloth had been dyed a deep crimson red, but it seemed to have done the trick. "It looks to have stopped on its own, that is so strange."

"I told you, I have the skills." Kassandra answers with a few quick successions of her brows for an extra boast as she flexes her fingers to show off.

"You most certainly do." Kyra chuckles at her antics and Kassandra can feel her heart warming at the sound.

A silence passes between them, but for the first time in a while, there wasn't any tension in it. They were just enjoying each others company and it gave Kassandra some optimism that there could be hope for them yet. They still had much to talk about and get out in the open, but this was a step in the right direction.

By this time now, the room was beginning to darken, but she had hardly noticed how much time had actually passed. She was too caught up in being present with Kyra, leaving her to wonder who was interrupting them by a knock outside.

"Good evening Kyra, Kassandra." Eliana greets the two of them as she walks over with a cloth bag in her hand. "I brought you both some food for the night."

"Thank you!" Kyra gets up to greet Eliana with a hug. "That was very kind, you spoil us."

Kassandra couldn't deny the pang of jealousy that surged through her with the causal affection Kyra was showing Eliana. Here she was overthinking every move she made with Kyra while this _stranger_ gets a hug without a thought. If she didn't know Eliana was with Daphnae, she'd have intruded on this little show.

"Kassandra, wasn't this nice of her to do?" Kyra prods for her to acknowledge the gesture.

"Yes, thank you for supper." Kassandra comments to appease Kyra. It was nice of her to do, but it was hard to thank someone who could possibly have questionable intentions with the woman you love.

"I am going to head to sleep, but you know where to find me if you need anything."

"I believe only Kyra knows that." Kassandra interjects a bit defiantly. "I would have no idea where to find you as I can't say I've had the pleasure of being in your room." She shouldn't be doing this, but Eliana was getting just a bit too comfortable with Kyra and that didn't sit well with her. She was crossing a line and Kassandra was going to be happy to call her out on it.

"It is just on the other side of camp, right next to Daphnae's. I know you know where that is."

Eliana's response was just as loaded as her initial one and Kassandra knew this could escalate fast if she wasn't careful.

"We will be fine," Kyra pipes up, shattering the silent stare down the two of them had been locked in, "good night, Eliana."

Once Eliana took her leave, Kyra wasted no time in sending her a disapproving look. "You could at least try to be nice to her."

"I am nice! She and I were friendly on our patrol this morning so I don't know what you're talking about."

"Wait, they let you go on patrol?"

"I was watched like I was a child, but yeah."

"Must be nice. The most exercise I've gotten was walking from the healing hut to the waterfall to bathe."

Kassandra understands the feeling of being cooped up all too well so maybe there was something she could do to help Kyra like how Daphnae did for her.

"Did you want to go on a patrol? I could talk to Daphnae on your behalf to see if she's open to the idea."

"I'd rather not if it is anything like you've described. I don't do well when someone else is calling the shots and just aimlessly walking doesn't sound very appealing either."

"Well, how about we go for a walk tomorrow morning? It would give you the chance to stretch your legs."

Really? With just me?" Kyra seems overly surprised by the suggestion. "I think I'd really like that."

With Kyra, Kassandra would be able to cover twice the ground at the ruins and she'd also have someone helping who knows what she's looking for. Her motives weren't completely pure, but she figures that she would still enjoy Kyra's company as a bonus. 

"I want to go back to where I first arrived and retrace my steps to see if I left anything behind." 

"Have you lost something?"

Kassandra wasn't sure exactly _why_ she was lying to Kyra about what she wanted, but a part of her was afraid she'd say no if she told her the truth. She just really needed her help because it would look suspicious if she were to be gone for a long time and she didn't want anyone asking questions, especially Daphnae.

"I'm not sure. That time was a bit of a blur and I just feel like something is off."

"I'm not sure I'll be much good as I don't remember what you've been carrying and I'm not as skilled a tracker. Maybe Daphnae would be able to help you better?"

 _Malaka..._ She was going to have to come clean (which, in retrospect, was something she should've done in the first place). "That's the thing though, Daphnae can't know about it. In fact, none of them can."

"I feel there is more to this than you're telling me," Kyra looks over her with a wave of skepticism and it isn't something she enjoyed, but she did it to herself, "but I'm in."

"I can explain-," Kassandra begins to backtrack until it registers that Kyra hadn't declined her, but, in fact, had agreed, "...wait, you're in?"

"Yeah, I'm in. It doesn't matter if I know why, I trust you."

"I, uh-, wow... thank you." Kassandra stumbles over her shock enough to show her appreciation.

"Is there anything I should know before we go?"

"I specifically need to go back to the ruins as there are a heap of bodies I haven't looted and I'm worried that the animals will pick them clean before I get the chance."

"What are we still doing here then? If you need to get to the ruins, I want to help you."

"I will be honest with you, we're not supposed to go there. I tried earlier on my patrol and Eliana forbade it per Daphnae so you could get in trouble. I don't know if you've not noticed, but it is night time and I don't want to use torches as that's the fastest way to be spotted."

"I can?" Kyra questions. "Did Daphnae give you some secret immunity from consequences that I don't know about? "Do you think yourself above being called out?"

"No. If anything, I'm held to the rules more than everyone else."

"So _we_ could get in trouble, not just me and I'm fine with that. Plus, I already said I'm in so do you want to try to talk me out of it or do you want to come up with a plan? The longer we wait, the less we'll find."

To say she was impressed with Kyra's initiative would've been a vast understatement. Kyra was right though, even with the risk of being spotted, it would be easier to escape undetected under the cover of nightfall. "You're right, how much time will you need to be ready?"

"None, but I'm not the one who's got a deformed hand right now." Kyra motioning down between them. "Are _you_ going to be able to do this?"

"I will live and the bottom of the ruins are wide open so I shouldn't have to do any climbing."

"Do we have anything to start a fire? We'll have to take one of the torches outside as I don't have one handy."

"I have something so we should be fine."

"I'll head out first." Kyra volunteers, moving towards the door. "Give me a couple minutes before you leave and we'll meet just beyond the entrance right of the door."

"Understood."

With that, Kyra takes off into the night and Kassandra is left to have a few moments of reflection before she follows suit. Kyra's motivation had been a complete surprise, especially since she'd been nothing but rude to her since their last fight. It made her wonder if holding this grudge was even worth it when, in all reality, she just wanted them back to how they were. She wanted everything to be how it was before Sparta when they were just wrapped up in each other, unaware of just how bad their consequences would be.

Kassandra carefully rises to her feet and makes her silent exit as it had to have been a few minutes by now. She didn't want to make Kyra wait for her any longer than she needed to and she was getting excited at the promise of what the night could become. She hadn't had much to look forward to given their bleak outlook as of late so a bit of late night mischief was just what she needed.

Kassandra doesn't have a hard a time as most in the dark so finding Kyra was the easy part. What she was worried about was the fact that there was a lot of uncharted wooded territory between them and where she wanted to go and Kyra would most likely run into issues. She was going to take the lead, but she just prayed that they didn't run into any more bears because she was not ready for a round two.

"Psst, Kyra," Kassandra whispers from deeper into the forest, "come here."

"Took you long enough, I was starting to think you got cold feet." Kyra whispers back as she treks her way into the forest to where Kassandra was.

"I know where to go, but it is going to be dark and we cannot afford to light a fire yet, will you be alright to follow?"

"Of course you can see in the dark, why am I not surprised?" Kyra scoffs but her manner was good natured. "I hate to tell you, but I can barely see my hand in front of my face right now, but I'll try."

Kassandra reaches forward, grabbing Kyra's right hand within her own. "I've got you."

It was a small gesture, but all these little moments reminded her of just how much she had missed Kyra's affection. Even if the hand holding had a larger purpose, she wouldn't deny how right Kyra's hand felt within her own.

"Don't let me fall," Kyra requests with a hint of playfulness in her voice, "I wouldn't want to copy your new look."

"You just don't want to fall for me, I get it." Kassandra sends her a playful wink (completely forgetting Kyra cannot see her).

Kassandra can hear a mumbled response, but she couldn't make enough of it out. "What's that?"

"Nothing, nothing," Kyra waves her off, "just keep your eyes up front. This forest is just brimming with animals who want me for a late night snack."

"I won't let anything happen to you," Kassandra lightly squeezes their conjoined hands, "I promise."

Their walk through the forest was surprisingly uneventful and was actually quite nice. The wind was a nice breeze and the flutter if the leaves at their feet provided a nice cover for their footsteps. Kyra also had been handling the walk well and there were only a few times when it almost went bad, but they managed to make their way through it. They ended up a bit further south than she had wanted, but she could see the outline in the distance. "It isn't far now, we're close."

Remembering her rampage began towards the middle, that's where she ultimately wants to end up, but she's in no condition to climb to get there faster. Instead, Kassandra leads them down to enter through the lower half of the ruins and only once they were confined within the broken walls did she dare ignite the flame and release their hands.

"Here, you take it." Kassandra offers up the freshly lit torch to Kyra. "I can see well enough by the natural light."

"What exactly am I looking for?"

"Bodies."

"Do you really think they'll still be here? It has been a little while and the animals are bound to have caught their scent."

"I have to try. I don't know what it is, but something is telling me that I overlooked something important here." It was a feeling deep within her gut and she knew better than to ignore it. "I didn't pay attention to anything when I was here last as I was too focused on finding you. If this was their base, they _must_ have information on the cult."

"I will see what I can find and I'll call for you if I see anything of use."

"Kyra, wait!" Kassandra reaches out to grab her hand one more time. "I appreciate you doing this with me. I know it hasn't been easy lately, but it means a lot to me that you're here."

This time Kyra squeezes her hand back, rubbing her thumb softly over the top of her hand. "I'm just glad I can help. I'll holler if I need you."

Kyra heads into the left while Kassandra goes a bit ahead and to the right. The resistance didn't get stronger until she was closer to the middle, but there could still be some bodies still around here. She can remember the details so vividly and she can still hear their screams as she cuts their throats one by one. It was the most unhinged she'd ever been in her life and she had never felt better. Reminiscing could wait as there were more important reasons she was here now. Using the power of her Sight, she pulses a wave around her to locate anything of use. 

The first several brought no results, but once she made it to about mid way up the first long set of steps, she could sense something was around her on her right. Following the direction it sent her, Kassandra finds herself in what must have been their sleeping quarters. There are a few tents in front of her and, by the feel of it under her heel, there were bones too. It would've been too easy for the bodies to still be here and the wind would have taken anything important and thrown it towards the sea. 

"Kassandra? You need to come see this!"

She could hear something off in Kyra's tone as she called for her so she wasted no time in running towards where she heard the sound. Once she finds Kyra, she moves forward a bit slower and before she can ask what was wrong, she sees just what Kyra was alarmed about. Before them stood a mass grave of bodies burnt to a char and it looked to be of about ten people easily from just a quick glance.

"What happened here?" Kyra asks as she looks to Kassandra for an answer, but she didn't have one for this. 

This was _not_ how she left this place so there must have been someone smart enough to hide until she left. They must have collected all the bodies and burned them to destroy any evidence. She was too late...

"Malaka!" Kassandra shouts in frustration, her sense of silence abandoned like the hope of finding a clue. "I was too late and now I have nothing."

"Do you know who did this? Could it have been on of the Daughters? Maybe that was the reason they didn't want you coming here."

"Daphnae would never permit this." Kassandra defends staunchly. "This is beyond anything she would ever do. I know her better than that."

"You _knew_ her, Kassandra, and you know better than anyone that people can change. Whatever she's told you could be a lie to get you to help her."

"She wouldn't lie, not to me."

"Have you asked her about this specifically? This isn't information anyone is just going to voluntarily provide. You will have to be direct and you may not like what you find. I know you love her, but that doesn't mean she's not using you. Sometimes it is those we care for the most holding the blade into our back."

Hang on... did Kyra just say what she thinks she did? That she _loved_ Daphnae? And better yet, is she referring to her when it came to the knife in the back reference?

"Look, Kassandra, I know you don't want to believe me, but who else could have done this? It looks like a dozen or more bodies are here and they didn't die and light themselves on fire."

"It is possible I missed one of them, there can be another explanation..."

"Wait, wait... so you're telling me _you_ killed all these people?" Kyra looks at her in a horrified shock which meant she definitely must have forgotten to tell her just what happened here. 

"Yes. This is where I thought you were being held and I just worked my way through them trying to find you. Eliana had already rescued you at this point, but I wasn't more than a day behind."

" _How?!_ " Kyra's face shifted into sheer disbelief. "They outnumber you ten to one!" 

"It was actually twenty to one, maybe twenty two to one."

"Oh pardon me, how silly of me to forget ten _additional_ people to this. Gods, Kassandra! That's absolutely crazy!"

"I've always told you I was a monster and this, _this_ is what I have to do. I kill people, bad people, and I have no choice. It was them or me and it can never be me."

"You're not a monster and I'm sorry that I reacted badly to make you think that," Kyra looks down and away in shame, "I was just not expecting this. I know you don't kill just anyone and these were cultists so their death was just a matter of time. That's just _so_ much for a lone person."

"It's me, Kyra, are you really _that_ surprised?"

"I suppose not. I guess I just haven't gotten used to the fact that you're a literal demigod. It isn't every day that I meet someone like you."

"I'd hope not, I want to be the only "me" in your life. I don't think I could handle having that kind of competition."

"It only ever is you."

An understanding passes between the both of them and even though Kassandra didn't get what she came for, she didn't walk away empty handed. It may not be the end to all their problems, but she's learned something from just this short excursion with Kyra. That it didn't matter what was wedged between them, they were always drawn back to one another by the forces of the universe. They will fight, but, ultimately, they will stand beside one another when the time comes. This moment of cohesion couldn't erase all they'd done to hurt one another, but it was a start in the right path. There would surely be more hurdles thrown their way as they become honest with each other, but maybe they would be able to make it out to the other side.

"We should get going as we have a long walk back," Kyra shifts the conversation back to something less heavy as she moves a step back from Kassandra, "unless there's more you were looking for?"

"No, this is enough for tonight." Kassandra sighs in defeat. "It is late and we should get going before it gets light out."

"After you." Kyra motions for her to take the lead and the two walk in a comfortable silence until they reach the exit at the bottom of the ruins.

A snap of a stick can be heard coming from nearby and it was far too close for her liking. It stops her dead in her tracks and she holds her arm out to stop Kyra from walking past her. 

"I hear something." Kassandra whispers calmly to not startle her, but she still doesn't know what she's hearing just yet. It could have been a branch falling or it could be something much worse. Focusing her Sights once more, she sends a wave out and gets an answer immediately. 

The outlines couldn't be mistaken which meant they had company (and not just a couple either). She counted five separate figures and those were just the ones in range. The question became if they were friends or foe. She pulses again and can see the outlines of what appears to be bows held by each individual, meaning the Daughters had found them. She didn't know how, but she didn't have a good excuse prepared to try to defend herself.

"Fuck, it's the Daughters." Kassandra warns Kyra as both a motion to stand down and to get ready for consequences that were sure to follow. 

"It is just us, Kassandra and Kyra, so you can come out now." Kassandra announces as she steps in front of Kyra to declare their presence to the armed women just beyond the gate.

A figure walks through the gate with a poised posture, but they had a walk that told a story of urgency. It was none other than Eliana that had found them and boy did she look angry.

"I don't know how much clearer I could have made myself to you earlier, but when I say an area is off limits, I mean it is off limits!"

Kassandra had never heard Eliana like this before, especially since it was addressed towards her. She had an idea now of what Helen felt and it wasn't anything enjoyable. The woman was meek most of the time, but she was a whole other person when she was angry.

"I have gone out of my way for you and this is how you thank me? By breaking the _only_ rule I gave you? You are a real piece of work."

Kassandra knew all of this was directed at her and her alone and she just hoped that Kyra would be ignore in favor of her. Kassandra was someone they could make an example of and have it matter, so if anyone was going to be a scapegoat, it was her.

"This wasn't Kassandra's idea," Kyra chimes in as she moves from behind Kassandra to beside her, "it was mine."

"Yours?" Both Kyra and Kassandra say in unison, confusing them both.

"I had wanted to come here to see where I had been held captive and Kassandra came to get me once she realized I was gone. I just couldn't stop dreaming of this place and I thought seeing it in person would help me move on." Kyra takes a step towards Eliana with her posture as submissive as possible. "I had no idea it was forbidden so if anyone is going to be punished, please let it be me."

Kassandra's jaw literally drops to the ground at the bold face lie Kyra had just told. It was probably a good thing she was in front of her too because her reaction alone would've ruined the authenticity. What's even better is that the lie was completely believable! Kyra spoke as smoothly like it was the honest truth and that's not something Kassandra had, _at all_ , expected in this conversation. She was ready to face the consequences, but Kyra seemingly had saved the both of them.

Kassandra collects herself and moves up to stand next to Kyra in a show of solidarity. Her arms cross over one another as Eliana looks between the two of them in an appraisal of Kyra's story.

"Stand down!" Eliana orders as she shouts over her shoulder towards the still hidden women that lined the edges of the opening.

"You're lucky neither of you got hurt up here." Eliana scolds them as she turns to walk away. "Come, let's get you both back to camp."

Both she and Kyra remain tight lipped on their awkward walk back and only once they're back within their hut (after a stern lecture) and alone does she dare speak.

"I can't believe that just happened... You were amazing!"

"I had a plan b," Kyra shrugs like that wasn't the best save in the world, "just in case we got spotted."

"I thought for sure we were getting kicked out, you really saved me back there."

"I know you may find it hard to believe, but I don't enjoy seeing you get in trouble and lectured like a small child." 

"Yeah you do, but you just like being the one to do it." Kassandra teases and the two of them share a warm smile. 

"You're lucky you're injured or I'd hit you right now." Kyra snaps back, but there was no venom in her voice.

A resurrection of this playful banter between them has healed a part of her that she had been neglecting. She had forgotten what it felt to just relax and enjoy the moment, especially with Kyra by her side. Come the morning, they may not be like they were, but it was times like this that kept her optimistic for what they could become once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is also hella unedited atm because it was either edit it and make you wait or post it now and edit it later (and I figured you'd all want the former). 😉


	11. Battlefield

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good morning/afternoon/evening! Hope you all are doing wonderful and are staying nice and healthy 😊. I bring forth to you another wonderful chapter to this ever growing sequel! What can you expect? Well, that's the million dollar question now isn't it? We've got some mild disagreements, but the ultimate feel for this chapter is communication. I could tell you more, but it would be far more fun to read
> 
> As always, I look forward to your commentary!
> 
> Jordin Sparks - Battlefield  
> https://youtu.be/suPlYwJ3YvM

Kassandra found herself enjoying a lazy morning in with Kyra nearby. They didn't speak much, but she was more than fine with just sitting in silence as it wasn't awkward in the slightest. They didn't always have to speak and it was nice to just enjoy each other's presence. However, it wouldn't last forever and soon they both would be sent to different parts of the village to lend a helping hand.

They had been separated most of the day, only able to get passing glances at each other as they were dragged about. Kassandra got stuck with trying to wrangle logs for the fire with only one arm while Kyra was taken somewhere by Daphnae's request. She didn't know what the task was, but she wasn't worried about it. Daphnae would treat her well and Kyra was bound to do well with whatever she had to do. It was a strange sight seeing Daphnae with Kyra, one she doesn't hate, but she doesn't love it either. Nobody wants to have their current girlfriend (well, whatever she and Kyra were) in close proximity with an ex, but that's precisely what was happening here.

Kassandra doesn't give it another thought as the day goes by fast and, before she knows it, the sun is beginning to set. She had worked up quite the appetite with the manual labor, but she made sure to take breaks when she needed it and they were few and far between. Soon maybe she'd even have this damn sling removed so she could get back to fight ready. 

Kassandra finds herself fireside with her pensive mood as both she and Kyra were summoned by Daphnae to discuss something. The odd part is that every other member of the Daughters seemingly vanished in thin air as nightfall descended upon them.

"Do you know why you're both here right now?" Daphnae asks as she looks between the both of them.

Were they in trouble after all? Had Kyra's cover not been enough? Kassandra wasn't sure just what specifically Daphnae had meant and she was not about to throw herself into the flames if she didn't need to. "Here as in the fire or here as in the village?" 

"Both." Daphnae responds, offering no further explanation.

"No and definitely not." Kyra speaks up. "This is all quite hard to take in so I'd think it was safe to say that I've got no idea about anything at this point."

"I'm with Kyra on this, except for the fact that I know why I'm at least here." Kassandra looks to Kyra who holds her gaze for only a second before they both look back at Daphnae. "Did you have something you wanted to talk about?"

"In fact I did." Daphnae looks at her for a moment before she looks at Kyra. "Kyra, how well versed are you in archery?"

"Like hunting or just overall use?"

"Both."

"I can handle myself when it is called for if that's what you're looking for." Kyra's tone a bit defensive. "Why? Are you sending me away finally?"

"What?" Kassandra chimes in at the frosty tone. "Why would you think that?"

"I don't know, why don't you ask Daphnae here?" Kyra's eyes as cold as ice as they bore into Daphnae's. "She's the one in charge here and I'm nothing more than a nuisance it seems."

"Nuisance? What even is going on right now?" Kassandra didn't understand where this hostility was coming from, but the body language between the two of them was enough to tell her that neither woman was willing to back away from this. "Why don't we just take a step back for a second? I'm sure there's a way for this to be rational."

"Now is when you're choosing to talk things out? Not when you or I need to do this, but when Daphnae is involved? " Kyra complains incredulously. "Why am I not surprised?"

"Kyra, that's not at all what this is about. I don't even know what the problem is for starters! I just want us all to take a moment so we can talk this out. I'm sure whatever the issue is doesn't need to resort to anyone getting kicked out."

"Is your tantrum over?" Daphnae comments directly to Kyra. "Or can I continue what I'm trying to say? Because it isn't like I have other things to do so please, by all means, take your time."

"Why you-!" Kyra moves to take a step forward, but Kassandra is quick to hop between them so that her back is to Daphnae.

"Kyra, just listen to what she has to say, yeah?"

Kyra's icy cold glare shifts from Daphnae to herself and she can almost feel a shiver creeping down her spine. There was no love lost between Kyra and Daphnae and she could hazard a guess as to why. Both women were fiercely independent and headstrong, both deeply committed to their causes, but when those personalities clash, it isn't always pretty. She really had a type it seemed...

Still remaining silent, Kyra takes a step back to her initial position, allowing Kassandra to also return back to where she was.

Daphnae clears her throat, her voice losing its previous bite. "I ask for your skills because you're no longer injured so it is time to begin your training. We have warriors here, all deadly with the right range and it is time you rise to that level."

"What makes you think I already can't handle myself?" Kyra's defensiveness still in full force with her arms crossed.

"From what Kassandra's told me, you're a rebel with no formal training. It doesn't seem like a hard conclusion to jump to."

"You don't need formal training to be deadly."

"No, but you need it if you don't want to end up dead." Daphnae responds quickly. "Your prey won't always be animals and the kinds of people you'll meet won't hesitate to kill you. You need to know what's around you at all times."

"You don't think I don't know this? I've had to live in a cave surrounded by people and I could tell you who was walking just by the sound of their footsteps. I'm not an amateur."

"We'll just have to see about that." Daphnae says as she moves to snuff out the fire. "I've arranged for a test of your skills to be completed tomorrow along with Kassandra so I know where to start you off. Go get some sleep as you'll be put through the paces at dawn."

Kyra didn't wait around any longer than necessary because as soon as Daphnae extinguished the fire, she took off back for their hut. To say this all came out of nowhere was an understatement. It wasn't often she found herself lost, but this was one of those rare moments where it felt like there was a conversation that she wasn't privy to. The tension between the two of them was intense and it never would have evolved into that if something wasn't influencing it. Her best chance at an answer was to follow Kyra and hope that she was in a sharing mood. 

Upon entering their hut, she noticed Kyra pacing a hole in the ground beneath them. She looked tense so Kassandra was going to do her best to not set her off. "So archery sounds like a good time. I've bet you've missed it."

"I suppose."

Alright, so that didn't really work too well. She's not sure what she was hoping to get from this if she was being honest, but it was looking more and more like a one sided conversation.

"Hey, at least it isn't a patrol."

"Yup."

A second straight miss. Seems like small talk was not going to get this resolved so she just had to dive head in and hope for the best.

"Look, Kyra, I know you're angry about whatever that was, but I promise you that she won't send you away if that's what you're worried about."

"That's not-," Kyra pinches the bridge of her nose, "that isn't what I'm worried about."

"Well? What is it then? Did Daphnae say something to you?"

Kyra doesn't have to say a thing, her body does it for her.

"She did, didn't she?" Kassandra answers her own question and she finds herself getting angry at the fact that Daphnae would threaten Kyra with such an action when she knows who she is to her.

"Please don't." Kyra's voice a stark contrast to the venomous tinge she had only seconds ago. "This is not something you get to fix. I have to do it myself."

"But-"

"No, Kassandra." Kyra's tone was definitive, leaving no room to argue the point any further. "Back off it, please. I need to fight my own battles." 

"I can help!" Kassandra is practically pleading at this point as she really does just want everyone to get along. "She and I have history, it will be easier for me to talk to her."

"You don't have to remind me." Kyra snaps, the venom reemerging. "That's all anyone can bother to talk about, that and how great Daphnae is."

"You really don't like her, do you?"

"What gave it away?" Kyra scoffs sarcastically. "Was it our titillating banter or was it our shared fucking of you?"

"I hate this." Kassandra huffs out as she puts her hand on her hip. "Just when it starts to look good, it all goes to shit."

"I'm not thrilled about this situation either."

"I don't mean that, I mean us."

"Us?"

"I don’t even know why we keep fighting or what we're even fighting about. It just seems like we do it because it is easier, you know?" Kassandra knows they've not been the best people to one another and she's just as much to blame as Kyra. Both of them should realize how unproductive this is to solving their problems, but neither of them wanted to bow down first. "I just feel like you and I are on opposite sides of a door that we're both pushing on. We're not even trying to figure out _why_ it isn't moving, just that we can't make it go so we push harder in hopes that it fixes itself. But we're never going to open it that way and I'm afraid of what will happen to us if we can't stop."

"What do you think we should do?" Kyra looks to her with a genuine interest. "We both know it's been the problem, we probably always have, but we've still let ourselves get here. What can we possibly do?"

"That's where I'm lost." Kassandra admits, her head dropping down in a self imposed shame. "I don't know how to fix this."

"Is it-," Kyra stutters, "is it something you want to fix?"

This grabs Kassandra's attention and she looks back to Kyra to see a pained expression. 

"I mean," Kyra tries to clarify, "is it worth it to keep trying at something we can't seem to get right? Just look at us, look what we've both become... I don't even recognize who I am. How can I possibly expect something from you when I'm not even sure what I stand for anymore? How can I expect you to give me what I need when I don't even know?"

"You're not the only one who's changed." Kassandra shares, adding another layer onto their brutal honesty session. "I've become such an angry person and I'm constantly living with the fact that the expectations of me are so high, maybe higher than I could ever reach. I doubt myself, Kyra. _Me_! I've never doubted anything and now I can't seem to stop. I'm doing everything wrong, no matter how much I try. The one thing I wanted more than anything... the _one_ thing I finally found for myself that makes me happy... and it is in shambles."

"You're not doing _everything_ wrong." Kyra says in an attempt to comfort. "We all make mistakes, some are just worse than others."

"You don't get it!" Kassandra throws her hand up in the air as she takes a few steps away to distance herself. "I do the wrong thing at the wrong time, say the wrong thing and I can feel the gap growing larger between us each time I do." 

It was too late for her to stop this as every repressed emotion or thought she's ever had was no longer complacent in the dark. They were demanding an outlet and, for once, Kassandra decided to listen. "Kyra, for gods sake, we've spent more time hating one another than we have loving each other! Every time you look at me in disdain, I just die inside and every time you withdrew from me, I felt it like someone was stabbing me with a knife."

"You don't think I understand this?!" Kyra scoffs as she advances to meet Kassandra. "You don't think I haven't felt horrible about how you've avoided me? Or how I could feel your discomfort whenever I tried to be near you? Because I have! Do you know how much it hurts me to know you'll confide in Daphnae, but not with me? That all I've ever done is _begged_ for you to be honest with me and you're off doing it in the arms of your ex?"

"What about Eliana? Hmm?" Kassandra snaps back. "You've told her an awful lot more than you've shared with me!"

"It's because I had no choice!" Kyra's shouts before she breaks into a violent voice cracking sob, expunging any flicker of anger that had been raging inside her and turns it into a deep sadness. "From the moment you've found me, you've left me behind!"

"Kyra-." Kassandra tries to comfort her by reaching out, but it met swiftly with opposition.

"No! Don't." Kyra recoils as she physically moves away from the attempted touch. "You need to hear this because I've been holding it in and I can't anymore. You do this whenever I try to talk about something deeper and it is like you're trying to talk me out of it. I can't just pretend I don't have feelings."

"That's not what I'm trying to do, I promise." Kassandra tries to be sincere, but she's unsure if Kyra notices. "I just cannot stand to see you like this and I just want to help."

"Help me by just listening. Not just _hearing_ me, but actually listening to what I have to say because I don't think you ever do."

Kassandra wants to tell her that's not true. That she _does_ listen to her, but she doesn't always know how to handle it. She wanted to keep defending her actions, but she also knew that it would just be proving Kyra's point. If she got them off topic now, she would be doing exactly what Kyra had described. She needed to do better, to _be_ better for Kyra and that would start right now. 

Kyra looks at her in anticipation of a rebuttal, but after a few moments of silence passes over them, Kyra gets the message.

A quick nod is all the acknowledgement that's given before Kyra turns her attention back to the issue at hand. "Here I was, alone and _terrified_ , thinking you for dead... only for you to show up unannounced and leaving with Daphnae almost immediately after. I didn't know you two had history and I understood why you may have had to go, but you spent more and more time with her and then I found out why."

The corner of Kyra's upper lip gives a small twitch as she fights away the dormant anger waiting to strike. She shakes her head to try to dispel it, but some traces made their way through. "I had to find out through gossip over you telling me just what in the fuck was going on! I was left, alone, while you and Daphnae went to hideaway and share your love confessions and-"

"Love confessions?!" Kassandra breaks her silence on such an absurdity. "That never happened!"

"I heard you, I heard her!" Kyra fights back another sob as the tears break free, steadily streaming down her face. "I was underneath you in the cave. I didn't know where you went and I needed space so I ran to a cave so I could have a moment to think when I overheard her telling you that her heart was all yours. So not only was I scared, but now the _only_ person I could rely on had betrayed me."

All Kassandra could do was just stand there like a fool, overcome and paralyzed with a loss of words. She had no idea Kyra overheard them, but that didn't change the fact that she had never said anything like that back to Daphnae. She may not have been forthcoming about her relationship with Kyra to Daphnae, but that's because she didn't even know what to call them! Lovers? Friends with benefits? Casual? They had never reestablish any boundaries between them so she didn't want to say anything that was untrue. It wasn't that she was hiding her feelings, she just didn't know what to call it.

"Not to mention the fact that you freaked out on me and gave me the silent treatment when I was sharing something so personal with you." Kyra takes a few calming breaths to work herself down from the high she's spent far too long at. "You're all I have, Kassandra. I don't know these people, I don't know these lands, I don't _do_ this. All I've ever had was you and I've lost that too, so now what? What am I supposed to do now?"

Before her mind can talk her out of it, Kassandra surges forward and wraps her around Kyra for as tight hug as she can manage. She feels Kyra stiffen at the initial contact, but she doesn't pull away like only a few minutes before. Instead, after a few seconds, Kyra returns the embrace. Kassandra can feel the vibrations from the muffled sob against her neck and she feels the wetness from her tears soaking through her top. Kassandra makes small circles on Kyra's back to help soothe her. She would say her piece soon, but for now, this was what she needed to do.

Never had Kassandra considered just how alone Kyra was and that was a grave oversight on her part. She had been so caught up in their drama that she didn't see the larger picture. Kyra wasn't totally wrong with her points, she really _didn't_ have anyone else and Kassandra had only amplified the problem with how she reacted. If she thought Kyra was getting too close to Eliana, it was because she forced Kyra her direction. Kassandra had only focused on what she saw as the outcome and not what hand she had in the problem.

"I just don't know why you can't seem to tell me what's bothering you or how you feel. I..." 

"I am afraid of your judgment." Kassandra interrupts with her voice soft and exposed. "You're one of the only people who's words I value and I'm afraid that you won't like what I have to say and everything will break and I don't want to lose you."

"I may not always like what you have to say, but that doesn't mean I'm just going to stop caring about you. It doesn't work like that. I want to be someone you can rely on to have your back when it gets rough and I can't be that for you if you don't let me in."

Kassandra had sworn she would not be the first one to apologize, but she had said it herself, if they both kept pushing, nothing would ever get better. Someone needed to lay down their armor first and it was going to be her. Winning some stupid, petty imaginary battle was not worth this, it wasn't worth losing Kyra over. Even if she does still feel slighted by how Kyra unloaded everything, it wasn't worth keeping up this game they'd been playing. There would never be a winner and, even if there was, what would the prize be? Being right? And what cost would she pay for being right? It wouldn't be worth it, it would _never_ be worth it.

"I'm so sorry." Kassandra whispers into Kyra's ear as she moves her hand up to stroke her hair. "I'm sorry for leaving you alone, I'm sorry for shutting you out, I'm sorry you've felt this for so long, and I'm sorry you lost faith in me enough that you couldn't tell me what was wrong. I have not been thinking of how this would be overwhelming for you and I lost sight of the fact that you _didn't_ have anyone else. I let you stay lost and alone in a strange land when I should have been the anchor holding you steady. I have failed you in so many ways."

Kassandra turns her head enough to place a kiss on the side of Kyra's face. "You're the most important person to me and I've made you feel like anything but. I don't know if I deserve your forgiveness, but I ask for it anyway."

Continuing her previous motions of playing with Kyra's hair, Kassandra continues on with her much overdue explanation. "And as for Daphnae, she is my past and there will always be a part of me that loves what we had, but I made my choice and she made hers. What you overheard was us admitting that to one another, not some secret love proclamation. We had a lot of past we never dealt with and that was necessary for me to do to get closure, but I should have told you about us. We were like an instant flame that burned too hot with nothing to sustain it. I was too invested in myself and she was too invested in her people and we failed miserably. We did have something between us and I won't lie and say it didn't come back when I saw her, but it wasn't the same feeling as I have with you. That, to me, told me that part of our life was buried and anything we did now would be as friends."

Kassandra pulls herself back enough so Kyra had no choice but to look at her. _You_ Kyra, you're my future. I don't want Daphnae, I want you."

Kyra tries her best to regain her composure and offers something else that was long overdue. "I'm sorry too, it was wrong of me to just unload all of that on you at once. What I said... it was cruel and it wasn't fair to you. It wasn't your responsibility to make me feel better and you had to find a way to cope just as much as I did. I took your strength as a weakness for myself and I projected those insecurities onto you. You tried your best, but I couldn't see it through my own faults."

Kassandra can see Kyra's exhaustion begin to set in after a long day and an emotional night so she decides to wrap up their conversation and shelve it for the morning. "We've both been unkind and said hurtful things to one another. This conversation was necessary and I think it was productive enough for the both of us for the night. How about we just lay down and go to bed with the promise of resuming it when we wake tomorrow?"

"That would be nice." Kyra gives a small smile. "I am pretty tired."

"Do you want me to go so you can undress?" Kassandra asks as she let's go of Kyra.

"You don't need to do that, you've seen it all before."

"But this isn't the same." Kassandra blurts out before she thinks better of it. "Before I knew where we stood, but after tonight, I have no idea what that makes us. I don't want to cross any further over the line than I have."

"I guess you're right, I've been thinking about that too." Kyra looks at her pensively. "We've just always kind of just existed around one another as of late, but we've never talked it out. We've spoken more to our friends about "us" than we have about "us” to each other."

Friends. Something about that word triggers a spark in Kassandra's mind and a possible solution to their dilemma becomes a little less hazy. She had been searching for some deep meaning behind their troubles, but what if it was something more simple? It was a bit of a stretch at this point, but she was running out of ideas of how to find some solid ground for the both of them. The one thing they've never truly been is friends as they moved far too quickly for anything like that to occur. Were they friendly? Sure, but never friends like they probably should've been. What harm could there be by giving it a shot now?

"I still think we should go to bed, but I think I've possibly realized a solution to our problem."

"You can't expect me to wait until morning for that. Please, tell me."

"It is going to sound odd, like really odd, but just hear me out." Kassandra prefaces before she goes into her pitch. "I think the problem with us is that we don't know how to be around one each other when we're not, you know, sexual. You see it too, I know you do. Tell me you don't find us awkward when we're not having sex."

Kassandra looks to Kyra to gauge her reaction and, at the very least, she's still looks invested.

"I don't know..."

"Kyra, I almost cut off my fingers because you touched my thigh." Kassandra deadpans and Kyra's eyes go wide in recognition.

"I thought I just startled you!"

"You did far more than that." Kassandra laughs as she traces the newest scar running along her fingers.

"You could have seriously been hurt!"

"But I wasn't, that badly anyway, buy it just proves my point. You can't tell me there haven't been moments like that around me, maybe not as violent of a reaction, but something that shifted."

"I-, uh, I guess I have also been rather preoccupied with you being near me."

"Exactly!" Kassandra exclaims. "We're just a walking disaster waiting to happen because we are missing something."

"What are we missing?"

"Friendship."

"Friendship?" Kyra echoes back. "This seems a bit late for that, don't you think?"

"But think about it!" Kassandra proclaims as she takes Kyra's hand in her own. "We've never been friends before as we just jumped into this. Maybe what we need is to take a step back."

Kyra's brows furrow as she processes what Kassandra's telling her. "So you're saying you just want us to be friends?"

"For now anyway, until we get comfortable again with one another and then we can take it from there."

"Wow, Kassandra. This is, uh, a lot to take in."

"I just want things to work." Kassandra gives her hand a tentative squeeze. "I know we've been through a lot, but I don't want us to get to the point where we can't even be in the same room with one another without either fucking or arguing. It isn't healthy."

"You're really serious about this?"

"Yes."

"Alright then, let's give it a try." Kyra squeezes her hand back in a show of solidarity.

"Yeah?"

"You're right in a way and although I _thought_ we were actually friends, I do see your point. We kind of just jumped into bed with one another before we even knew who we were."

Truthfully, she only "jumped" as fast as she did because of Thaletas being a looming presence and she was concerned that if she didn't act, she would not have the chance again. "War does not leave much time for complacency and we didn't exactly have a lot of time to work with."

"You can just say it, you know?" Kyra looks at her like she can read her mind. "I know Thaletas had everything to do with it."

"Wow, I didn't think I was that obvious." She must not have kept her face as neutral as she thought.

"I know you better than you think I do."

"Do you now?" Kassandra asks with a raised brow. "Well, we'll have to see about that."

"It can't be a challenge if I'm the only one in it. There would be no point in my participation other than to show off."

"Participation is its own reward." Kassandra offers up an attempt of Sokratic wisdom.

Kyra, however, was not having it. "Oh shut up, no it is not! Where did you hear that nonsense?"

"...Sokrates."

"I think that's best left back in Athens where they can live with their heads in the clouds in their luxurious homes."

"Jealous?"

"Pfft, hardly." Kyra waves her off as she goes to lay back on her bed roll. "I don't need that in my life."

"No?" Kassandra follows suit and the two roll over until they're facing one another. "Since when do you turn down a chance to show off?"

"I'm not you." Kyra comments, knowing full well she has Kassandra dead to rights. "I don't need my daily dose of being a show off."

"I know you better than that," Kassandra retorts, "there's no _way_ you would pass up an opportunity to gloat if you could."

"Careful, _misthios_ ," Kyra's voice drops from a playful banter to something a bit more tauntingly seductive. She edges just a bit closer and her finger traces from the top of Kassandra's jaw to the bottom, resting at the tip of her chin, "those are fighting words."

A light pink finds a home on Kassandra's cheeks at the sensation, her nostrils flaring just a bit by the touch. It seemed that Kyra was willing to play dirty to win whatever this was becoming and she would not allow herself to crumble so quickly. As much as her body betrays her, their newly found promise of friendship was still the best decision and she had to stick with it. If depriving herself of Kyra now could lead to them together in the future, she owed it to the both of them to try. That said, she knew herself and Kyra pretty much did too so she would need to set up some ground rules.

"Rule number one: none of that." Kassandra eyes rake over Kyra's face, nudging her chin out to bring attention back to Kyra's finger.

"None of what?" Kyra feigns innocence as she drags her nail down Kassandra's throat.

Kassandra's throat bobs lightly with a hard swallow. She would not be deterred though. "You know what." She challenges back.

Kyra knows how wrapped around her finger she is when Kyra speaks to her in that tone of voice. It is just sexy and sultry, the exact _opposite_ of what they should be doing right now. She can't be tempted or else this "friends" business will be ruined before it has a chance.

Kassandra can feel Kyra's heavy gaze roam her for a moment and she has to remind herself to keep breathing because Kyra's presence alone sucks the air out of her lungs.

"Fine," Kyra relents with a dramatic flair as she flops on her back to look at the roof, "but you can't do it either."

"Fair." She agrees, but she didn't think she had that special way about her so this rule would benefit her more than Kyra.

She needed to keep the list going as there's a few more concerns she's got. "Rule two: no cheating."

"How would we even cheat?" Kyra questions and Kassandra can see her brows furrow. "It isn't like anyone else will know the answers."

"You'd be surprised," She comments as she moves to lay on her back too, "Daphnae was observant and she may know some stuff."

"Even though I know she knows you, I forget she _knows_ you, you know?"

Tilting her head to look at Kyra, Kassandra can't resist a good tease. "That's a lot of "knows." 

She laughs almost before she gets the words out which earns her a small flick from Kyra.

"You're terrible." Kyra turns her head to look back towards her.

"Only to you." Kassandra gives a small wink and her only response is an eye roll and a groan.

"You literally are going to kill me with that."

Propping herself up on her elbow, Kassandra can't help the self satisfied smug grin. "With my witty banter or my dashing charm? Maybe both?"

"Wit and charm have no part in what I'd call it." Kyra says with as straight of a face as she can manage, but Kassandra can tell she's trying not to laugh.

"It won't kill you to admit that I'm funny."

"It just might."

"You're so stubborn."

"Wonder who I get that from?" Kyra gives her a wicked smirk and she can't help but smile back.

Watching as Kyra turns her head away, Kassandra finds herself lost in thought. This had been nice. She hadn't felt this good in quite some time and she can't help but feel optimistic about what awaits them. Nothing was fixed yet, but she felt good about where this was going. Small moments like this were something she had been afraid of losing and, for a while, she probably was. They never just talked anymore and anytime they had words, it soured faster than a lemon, but this just _felt_ right. 

Realizing she'd been spacing out, Kassandra is about to apologize when she notices that Kyra had fallen asleep. Her slow and shallow breathing set a cadence that Kassandra picked up on instantly and subconsciously mirrored. Nothing was rushed here and Kassandra found herself in a state of serenity and tranquility as she watched Kyra sleep. A small smile rested upon Kyra's lips and Kassandra wondered how she went so long without her by her side. Seeing her now told her everything she needed to know and she was going to do whatever it takes to repair their love. For now, she would just take solace in the beauty before her and wish for dreams to be even half as magnificent as the reality beside her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is also unedited as an FYI as it is almost 4am and I just cannot sift through this right now lol.
> 
> We also will be swapping to Kyra's POV for the next chapter or two so you'll be privy to just what happened between Daphnae and Kassandra...


	12. Casanova

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is long overdue and had been 90% completed for over a week now, but I just couldn't get myself to write. The loss of Naya Rivera hit me so deeply that I found I withdrew from any and all forms of media up until yesterday. She is half my namesake here and she was a large part of my life that it felt as though I'd lost a close family member. 
> 
> That said, I feel I'm in a much better place now than I was so I finished this up last night so, without further ado, I give you Kyra's POV. 
> 
> Allie X - Casanova  
> https://youtu.be/xThd_r0dqd4

Another day, another series of disappointments. It was Kyra's new motto and it had proven itself right thus far. It was harder and harder to get up and motivate when she knew nothing mattered anyway. It was all rather depressing and she was tired of constantly feeling like she was sinking into something she couldn't get out of. There was much she _should_ be grateful for, but it was hard to be happy when everything around her was telling her otherwise.

Kassandra was still refusing to even be near her and she was tired of trying to seek her out. It seemed like everyone was against her because Eliana was even avoiding the topic of Kassandra altogether. When she tried to bring her up in their conversation the night before, Eliana switched topics immediately and refused to speak of her. This told Kyra she knew something that she wasn't sharing and it stung, knowing how open she'd been with her and was met with avoidance in return... it was painful. Something was definitely up, but she was none the wiser as to what it could be. Her mood was soured from that point on and waking up to face a new day wasn't enough to reset it.

It was crazy to think of what got her here and as sure as she was that she made the right decision to follow Kassandra, she was equally as unsure the longer these bad days got. Her life would be in ruins and she could blame Kassandra (and she would), she also couldn't completely shift the blame. _She_ had been the one to make her decisions and now she was reaping what was sowed and it was not a bountiful harvest. Instead of lush crops filled with sustenance, it was rotted and fermented, decaying wherever it touched. She was going to starve if something didn't grow, but she was out of ideas.

It was so painfully frustrating to be stagnant and it was made worse by everyone around her. It was like they were all against her and she was alone and stranded in a world of her own. Sure, Kassandra was here in every sense of the word, but there was an inherent difference between how she was and how she is now. Even if they were to share a space, the nothingness radiating from Kassandra would be enough to make her think she was all by herself. Kassandra was here, but she wasn't _here_.

"I hate this." Kyra mutters as she moves her forearm to rest over her forehead. "I hate being so alone."

It was a confession she had no intention on sharing, but it needed to be said. Her thoughts drifting as she lays on her bed, staring at an exposed opening in the roof above her. She allows herself the moment to imagine what her path would have been if she had stayed back in Mykonos. It was something she questioned frequently, more so now than ever, and her once strong conviction had began to falter. She tried not to bog herself down in something she couldn't change, but both the circumstances and Kassandra's chilly attitude towards her had her doubting heavily.

She can see herself in her bed, taking an extra few minutes in the morning to prepare herself for the day. Her bed had always been comfortable and she's missed it terribly the longer she keeps away from it. Material goods weren't usually her style, but there was something about being in the comfort of your own bed that helped her sleep. She would be stretching out nice and long as the light begins to filter in, only moving once it crested the ground beside her. It was a reminder of the space that remained empty next to her, a space made for someone who she loved above all else but didn't have.

Kassandra had been the only one in her bed and she hadn't planned for anyone else to ever be there for the rest of her days. If she would have stayed, she would not have seeked comfort in the arms of another, male or female. She had had a taste of what happiness could have been and nobody else would be able to fill it but Kassandra. She had (almost literally) made her bed with Kassandra in mind and she would have to lie in it no matter what. It would have been a lonely life to wake up each and every morning, alone, but she had done it before and she would be able to do it again.

Her next steps would be to get dressed in finer clothes than she's ever had before. She wasn't necessarily comfortable in them all the time, but she couldn't wear just anything when she hosted the politicians of Greece. They all had expectations of her and she was bound and determined to look the part, regardless of how she actually felt. She looked almost elegant with the colors that she adorned, such a stark contrast to the ratty ensemble she had through the rebellion. She would walk up to her reflection and run her hands down her sides just to confirm that what she was seeing was actually happening. That the almost unidentifiable woman in front of her wasn't a stranger she knew nothing about, but who she had allowed herself to become. Kyra would see someone she didn't recognize and it got worse each and every day. It seemed like no matter how hard she stared, she couldn't get this woman to flee and the woman she knew was left out of sight for only her to remember in passing. 

From there, Kyra would put on her most prized accessory, something so important that only she knew of its existence. It was not something that anyone else could see, but it was something she knew was there. It allowed her to get through the day without trouble and it gave everyone the impression they desired. It was invisible to the naked eye and, to spot it, you'd have to be allowed into a place not many are permitted. Something so exclusive that you wouldn't even know it if it was used on you.

It was her mask.

Her mirage to the rest of the world was what she placed on each and every day to make it all appear in order. Nobody would be any wiser that she was hurting inside and that her life had lost all control and purpose. They would see what she wanted them to see and they would never care enough to explore beneath the surface. They wouldn't know how hard it was for her to do what she does, completely unaware of what sacrifices she's made. Her people _always_ had to come first which meant she always came in last. Whether in love or in leisure, she couldn't truly be herself as she had a role to fill.

She hadn't even asked for the position, but she didn't have the heart to say no when it came down to it. She _should_ have said no, that they would need to find someone else. But who? Who could've sacrificed in the way she did and accepted it? There was a war going on and it was important to build a strong foundation and she was the only one she trusted to do it. It was almost inevitable that it all ended up as it did because who knows what would have happened if anyone else had come forward to take charge. Would they have been able to do more than she did? Less? It wouldn't matter because it would have changed everything as she knew it.

She would then exit her room to attend several meetings and council sessions as she coordinated the resources for her islands. The same uninspired faces sharing the same uninspired ideas for how to make life better, a monotonous circle at best as they rounded themselves again and again. She would fake engagement as men twice her age and half her skill chided her over every small thing, thinking they knew best, but in all reality, had no thoughts at all. The only man who knew what he was doing was Praxos, but he was never one to assert himself in these situations. He was but a casual observer, allowing her to do all the heavy lifting as he watched from a distance.

Praxos was smarter than he appeared and he used that to his advantage when he wanted to. He was almost to Kyra's level of a tactician and he would do well if given the right opportunity. It makes her wonder how he is and it makes her feel guilty for thrusting this responsibility on him like it was tossed onto her. She hadn't even given it a second thought when the moment came down to it as she rightly could've sent Praxos in her place to aid in dismantling the cult. There was nothing saying _she_ had to be the one to go, but she did because it was Kassandra and, well... she didn't think clearly when it came to her.

She was right stupid when it came to anything Kassandra and it was showing more and more the longer they spent time together. Any time she thought she had the upper hand (or even a level playing field), she got swept off her feet to the ground. Absolutely nothing about Kassandra was predictable and perhaps that's what intrigued her the most out of everything. That no matter what she thought, there would _always_ be an option that only Kassandra could've thought of. No matter what it was, Kassandra always landed on her feet and it was never a light drop, but a heavy stomp. She made an impact and she always did it on purpose. 

Kassandra was like a wild animal, roaming as she pleased and only the lucky few would ever get a glimpse of her in her natural element. Kyra had been one of those few and she was so entranced by her ways that she lost sight of her own. How easy it was for her to flee when temptation arose, how _desirable_ the freedom was. She'd never had it before and the offer was too good for her to pass up. She would be beside the woman she loved and she would be exploring places she could only ever dream of. Kassandra was a means to an end that she never knew she needed. 

She had repressed just how much she was miserable to the point that she took the first out that was offered her way. Even if she had to nudge it to make it happen, she could see a different life, a seemingly _better_ life. Adventure and romance, a winning combination to most as who in their right mind wouldn't want the thrill of a lifetime followed in par with the woman of your dreams? She would be hard pressed to find anyone who wouldn't have done the same, especially when part of the prize is a literal demigod, sculpted in a precise blend of all the gods.

Her lust for something undefined had taken her heart and mind to new heights and that wasn't a feeling she could quell. She could only suppress so much before it became unbearable so this all really was inevitable the more she thought about it. She was a sucker for a woman with a pretty face and a taste of an adventure like no other. She was placed under a spell that made her lose her rational thoughts and, instead, filled it with the promise of an experience like none other. 

She was doomed from the start.

In no reality could she see herself still going through the motions to just let life pass her by. Even if it resulted in a catastrophe, it was still the adventure she had craved in a sense. There were _definitely_ more cons than pros in this particular scenario, but she never would have known had she not taken the leap of faith for Kassandra. She was free falling at an alarming rate and her hopes of a soft landing became more unlikely the faster she went. Kassandra had her plummeting from Mount Olympus itself.

How funny it was that her world shifted so drastically and it was all because of one single woman. She'd seen it happen in others, but it was never something she believed in for herself. Her lovers were very far and few between, least of all a woman, but Kassandra was nothing shy of extraordinary. She was a storm wrapped up under the guise of a mortal and Kyra could see it brewing deep within her the moment they met. She was a siren to any woman in her radius and even someone as guarded as herself wasn't immune to the draw of her songs. It was like Kassandra was singing to her soul, revealing everything she had ever wanted, but it didn't stop there. She could not only pull you in, but she could keep you there without you ever knowing you had a choice. The sweet lullaby she sang brought down all of Kyra's defenses and, by the time she knew what was going on, Kassandra already had her heart in the palm of her hand.

Realistically, she knew that Kassandra wasn't some mythical being, but it became easier to embrace her new reality if she could shift the blame. If Kassandra took the fall for Kyra's behavior and wanderlust, she could walk away without feeling guilty. Kassandra was the one who upended her life, her love, her _everything_ , so why shouldn't she be the one to take the aftermath? Her life would be so much easier without Kassandra in it and maybe, just maybe, if she tried hard enough, she could get herself to believe that. She could try to convince herself that they had no future, that Kassandra didn't really love her and was only using her. She could pretend that the nights they've shared together weren't special and that she didn't notice how Kassandra looked at her when she thought she wasn't looking. 

She could make Kassandra the villain she had always needed her to be to walk away.

Nothing but a womanizing showboat with an ego the size of the Parthenon. A disloyal misthios who only entrusted the bare minimum to those who didn't shower her with drachmae. That she was a cold blooded murderer who had no boundaries as long as the price was right. A woman who _thrived_ off conflict and who only landed a hand when it fit her agenda. But these would all be lies, malicious ones too. Lies she'd tell herself, but none she ever would believe because Kassandra could never be that. Even now with their divide being at its worst, she could never see Kassandra as anything less than she was.

Kyra _wanted_ to be so mad at her for everything and she gave it her best shot, but it was never something that would last. There was just something about Kassandra that made it impossible for her to hold much of a grudge. All she wanted now was for them to not fight every waking moment of every day. Gone were her desires to hold out her affection over something so stupid, but it may be too late. Her self actualization was in full bloom, but there was a chance that she missed her opportunity to make it right. She was no longer in an environment she could control and, was instead, in enemy territory. This was not the time nor the place to have such squabbles as she was vastly outnumbered. _Everyone_ seemed to know who Kassandra was and that should have told her that now was not the time to unload her repressed feelings, but she didn't catch on quick enough. There was a new element to their dynamic now and she had a name.

Daphnae.

Kyra was not blind (nor was she deaf) to the kind of connection these two shared and she would be a fool to ignore what was between them. She didn't spend much time with either of them together, but her night in the cave had told her all she needed to know about where they stood. She never imagined that she would run into someone from Kassandra's past out here, yet alone someone she shared a deep love for. It made her nervous and she never fared well when she was nervous. She said and did things that she usually wouldn't and it made her trip over herself. Her usual suave flew out the window in favor of something more bitter, a light taste of jealousy if she had to put a name on it. It was unbecoming, but it is hard to watch the woman you love fall back in love with someone else.

She didn't want to give up Kassandra, but she would if that's what she needed to do. Perhaps it was just her mind jumping to conclusions, but she always preferred to be prepared for any outcome, a contingency plan of sorts. She would need to figure out what she was doing next if it came to it and (as much as she didn't want to), she needed to start thinking about it. Kyra knew herself better than to think she could stand to see them together so would she be willing to stay here to help Kassandra or would she return back to Mykonos. Either place in that scenario would be unideal, but she would have to do something. 

The cult was a very real threat, but was it so big that she needed to stay here or could Kassandra and the Daughters handle it all? Would the Daughters even help when it involved something outside Chios? She didn't know much of their practices and traditions, but she knew they never left so maybe Kassandra would be the exception once again? If Daphnae was willing to overlook her previous "betrayal," who's to say she wouldn't do it again? Kyra knows firsthand that she's done some things she shouldn't for the sake of Kassandra so Daphnae was probably the same in that respect. Then again, Daphnae probably couldn't get away with another slip like that if she wanted to keep her position.

Eliana had given her a bit of background on the argument so it was safe to assume that not everyone trusted her leadership. Daphnae appeared to be in a predicament because even if she wanted Kassandra (and vice versa), would she be willing to give it all up for her? There is no way the Daughters would accept it now that she's thought about it, but she _still_ didn't know anything about Daphnae herself to make that call. Everything she got was hearsay and that in itself was wholly unreliable so she would need to have a talk with this mysterious leader and find out more for herself.

There never seemed to be a good time to talk to Daphnae, but she would have to make the time if she ever wanted to get her head back on straight. Without knowing for sure what her intentions were, she could only speculate and that brought her to tangents like this where she argued with herself. Kyra would be no closer to answers if she didn't make a move and Daphnae was going to listen to her one way or another. She was not longer the weak willed woman who she had first met as much had changed in just a small period of time for Kyra. Now she's given herself time to adjust and, although she still struggles, her mind is clearer than ever before. She would find out Daphnae's true intentions and, only then, would she know what she's doing.

"I need to get out of my head." Kyra groans as all this overthinking was beginning to give her a headache. "I'm going to drive myself crazy."

"You're talking to yourself so I'd say you're there." A woman's voice catches Kyra off guard. As Kyra's jump, the woman makes a further observation. "You could be dead already if I were an enemy, you should know better."

Kyra scowls as she sits herself up, recognizing the woman as Helen from the argument. "I didn't think I'd have to worry about that in here." 

Helen gives her a look that has her a bit concerned as she takes a step closer.

"You have enemies _everywhere_ girl, you shouldn't trust what you can't see."

"But I see you." Kyra's face scrunches as she tries to figure out the point.

"Do you?" Helen challenges as she takes another step towards Kyra. "You see what I want you to see and that should worry you. It's what someone doesn't show that will get you in the end."

"Are you talking from experience or is this a warning?" Kyra probes as she works her way up from her bed, matching the two strides until the two women are face to face.

"Consider it both." Helen smiles, but there is no warmth to it. It is cold and filled with deception, but Kyra had no idea why.

"What would you like, Helen?" Kyra asks, tired of whatever power trip this was.

"What I would like is for you take that traitor of yours and leave, but it seems our leader had other plans for you both." Helen gives her a once over before she sneers, "I hope, for your sake, that you're more useful than I believe you are."

"You don't frighten me." Kyra doesn't bother to mince words as she can see the veiled threat. "If you want, we can go and handle this right now."

A wicked grin washes over Helen as she takes in Kyra's more direct approach. "Ah, it seems the pup has a bit of a bark to her."

This was going to go nowhere. She didn't even know why Helen was in here nor did she know why she was coming off so strong from the start. "What is your problem? Did you come in here for a purpose or to just goad me?"

"A purpose, but I couldn't resist having some fun. You're a fun new toy for us to play with." At this, Helen reaches out to twirl a strand of Kyra's hair beside her face.

"Oh grow up, this should be beneath you." Kyra responds in addition to smacking away her hand. "Say what you want to say and be done with it."

"Fine," Helen says as she withdraws her hand, "Daphnae has asked that your skills be tested to see how capable you are. A test of your skills to put it plainly."

"My skills?" Kyra repeats. "In what?"

"Doesn't matter, but you're to come with me. Oh, and grab all your things because you're moving somewhere else. You have until I count to thirty to be outside with your things or else you're going to be tasked with cleaning the dung from the perimeter."

"Are you serious?"

"One, two, three..." Helen begins to count as she turns her back to Kyra and walks out of the hut.

"Guess she is." Kyra mutters to herself as she rushes to grab anything of value which, sadly, wasn't much, and she had to quickly put something on that was more presentable. She hadn't really undressed from the night before so it made it easier, but she hadn't had much of a chance to do much else.

Rushing outside, she sees Helen already walking off and has to rush to catch up to her. Once she does, she gives her a snide comment. "That wasn't to thirty."

"Lesson one," Helen comments, keeping her brisk pace, "always be early. You want to have time to make the element your own and you can't do that when in a rush. Take the battle to where you have an advantage."

"So now you're going to give me advice? I guess that's a step up from insulting me."

"I will stop if you don't keep your mouth shut. You may be coddled like a baby, but I will not stand for it. You keep quiet until I ask for your opinion, understand?"

Was this woman serious? Kyra was having a hard time not just laughing at the _absurdity_ of what Helen was implying. She really was treating her like a child and she didn't know how to take it. On the one hand, it was insulting as she didn't deserve to be spoken to like that, but there was also a small part of her that wanted to know what she had to say. It _had_ been a while since she'd really been able to do much of anything and it could be enjoyable if given the effort. There was also the added bonus that it would give her something to do that wasn't a boredom nap.

"You win," Kyra relents, "I'll keep my mouth shut."

"Good. Drop your stuff off in here and be quick, I don't have all day to waste." 

Kyra just rolls her as she lifts the flap up to see a much larger space than she was used to. The bed rolls were side by side on the floor and there was enough room for a few women to live here comfortably. It would be a nice change to not feel so congest, but it also raised the thought that she would no longer be sleeping alone. She didn't know who else would be in here, but she had to imagine it would be the other Daughters and that could be a problem. It wasn't something she had time to think about now though because as quickly as she arrived, she was back outside and resuming their walk.

The two of them continue to walk in the woods, going far enough that Kyra begins to wonder just what they're doing all the way out here. They've not seen anything worth noting and everything kind of looks the same.

Kyra was distracted enough that she collides into Helen's back, having not realized that she stopped walking.

"Sorry..." Kyra apologizes as she moves back to return their much needed personal space.

"Close your eyes, cover your ears, and spin."

"Pardon?" The request comes as a surprise and she's not sure if she heard her correctly.

Helen narrows her eyes. "You heard me. Do it."

"I don't see the point. What is this supposed to teach me?"

"Lesson two, tracking. Instead of just looking around, you should have been paying attention to markings or anything that could help you get your bearings."

"I know how to track." Kyra defends, her arms crossing. "I've done it plenty of times."

"Then you should have no problem finding me if you're so _experienced_." Helen mocks her as she takes a few steps away. "Show me that you can handle such a simple task and prove me wrong because, if you ask me, I don't think you can. I think you're far out of your league here, more so when the Beast Slayer isn't right behind you. This isn't your calling, girl."

If looks could kill, Helen would have been dead on the spot because Kyra's eyes were anything but kind. There wasn't many things that could get under her skin, but this... the complete disregard for who she was, was something that nested beneath her skin. To be overlooked and underestimated was something she could use to her advantage, but it didn't make hearing it any easier. Kyra _knew_ Helen meant what she said, she could hear it in her voice and see it in her face. She knew that not everyone would like her, it came with the territory, but this woman didn't even know anything about her. 

The one constant Kyra has noticed from the Daughters is how they all treat her like she's personally offended every single one of them. With the exception of Eliana, they're not kind and they don't even try to get to know her. They just treat her like an outsider and ignore her without warrant. It would be one thing if she had been with Kassandra when this all happened in the past, but she wasn't and found herself judged as if she committed the offense herself. They see her as only an extension of Kassandra, not someone who lives, breathes, and thinks for herself. 

Well, this was going to change.

She had nothing to prove to anyone but herself, but she knew that if she declined to do this, that she would never get a second chance. For better or worse, her life revolved around these women for the foreseeable future and she would have to play the game for Kassandra's sake. Plus, she would get to rub Helen's ugly face in it when she found her and that would be its own reward.

"How long?" Kyra asks, ignoring every urge to snap back to defend herself.

"One minute."

Kyra doesn't speak as she closes her eyes to begin the rather idiotic request and she can hear Helen take it as her cue to leave as her footsteps retreat. Covering her ears, Kyra slowly spins around in a circle all while formulating a plan to best Helen at her own game. Her mind counts each and every step to keep track of her position, each one corresponding to a specific mark around her because, unlike what Helen thinks, Kyra _knows_ just how skilled she is. Her observations may seem nonexistent to the naked eye, but they, in fact, were made at every turn on their walk. She just doesn't feel the need to broadcast what she's doing as it gives her an advantage for just this reason. But no, this wasn't going to be something she tried her hardest at because even _when_ she found Helen, it wouldn't be enough. No, no, Kyra was going to outsmart Helen and best her at her own "rules".

Kyra doesn't bother to spin for a complete minute before she removes her hands and opens her eyes. She gave it enough time that Helen wouldn't be near, but not a moment longer. Her afternoon would not be spent playing a childish game of hide and seek, but that of a making a statement. A statement that she wasn't someone who could be ordered around just because they felt like it. She wasn't some lowly peasant who didn't know better, she was a god damn leader and it was high time she started acting like it. As much as she questioned her position, she still _was_ their leader and that itself carried the respect of not being "tested". If a show of her skills were wanted, it could have been asked and she would've happily obliged, but to demean her and belittle her skills? That was unacceptable.

Kyra was able to orient herself rather quickly and found herself on the believed path back to the village within only a couple minutes. She's unsure of where Helen ran off to so she put on a good show like she was "tracking" when she knew exactly where she was. Only once she reached a small clearing was she sure if her location and knew that if she jogged, she'd be back within ten minutes. She strays from their prior route enough to make it look accidental if (for whatever reason) she runs into her, but knowing how much Helen wanted her to fail, she probably went south to the next town or towards one of the other coastlines. 

Once she saw the gray smoke billowing, she knew she was back and, for added measure, she decided to take the long way around to go into her newly assigned hut. Nobody would bother to look for her so she could sit and wait until Helen realizes she wasn't coming. Would there be consequences to her particular choices? Absolutely. Was it worth it? Well, that remained to be seen, but she was leaning towards yes. She'd need to pass the time and a thick stick gave her an idea. It had been many, many years since she had created anything like this so she was going to be a bit rusty, but hopefully it would come back to her. Collecting enough of them to keep her busy for a while, Kyra discreetly inserts herself back in the village and makes it to her hut unseen.

The time passes around her, but Kyra is in her own world as she continues to whittle away at these little statues. She had made a few already, but had made a mistake large enough that there was no salvaging it. It wasn't until she heard Helen's angry voice outside the hut did she realize just how long she'd been there. She knew where Helen would go and she was ready to defend herself when she got called out.

An angry opening of the leather flap at the opening and heavy footsteps told her that she was no longer alone in here. What she wasn't expecting was Helen to grab ahold of her and basically drag her outside, tossing her on her back in the dirt.

"I am going to kill you." Helen fumes as she points an accusatory finger at her.

Kyra is quick to get back to her feet and she doesn't shy away from Helen's threat and, instead, moves herself closer so that her pointed finger hits her on her chest. 

"I did what you taught me to do, nothing more. If you should be mad at anyone, it should be yourself."

"You think you're so smart?" Helen hisses, completely uncaring at the noise she was causing and the attention she was grabbing. "You couldn't do it and instead of admitting it, you hid like a coward!"

"No, I followed your two rules and it is on you for being foolish enough to ignore your own advice."

At this point, the two women were face to face with not an inch between them. Kyra was doing her best to seem unfazed by this, but the fear of her getting punched in the face was something she kept in the forefront of her mind. She didn't want it to escalate, but she would hold her own if provoked any further.

A hard hand on her shoulder pulls her back and before she can protest, she sees that said hand is attached to the very source of her problems. Daphnae had a death grip on her while another Daughter had a hand on Helen's chest.

"Care to explain what just is going on here?" 

Daphnae says it to the both of them, but the hard stare her direction tells Kyra that this question is most definitely for her.

"Helen here seems to be upset that I outsmarted her." Kyra holds her own and keeps the nerves she's got running through her at bay. What she was doing was playing with fire and she was mere inches from the flame.

"Running away is not something to be proud of!" Helen spews out in a rage. "You cannot cut it out here and should return to where you can hide away all day you-..."

Daphnae raises her hand up, silencing any further slander. "Kyra, you'd best explain yourself."

Here was where it all came into play. Daphnae had a reputation, but Kyra had to hope that she could see just what she did. Nothing had been out of line and she obeyed the "rules" to the very definition, she just had to show it. "Look, Helen gave me two rules before all of this. Rule one was to "make the element your own" and to "take the battle to where you have an advantage" and that's exactly what I did. In the end, she came to me did she not? She came to me in the only surrounding I knew and she came right where I wanted her to. Rule two was tracking and I not only got myself back, but I did so undetected by anyone here. This was after I was made to look like a malaka and was told spin in circles with my eyes and ears covered in an effort to confuse me. I did what I had to and nothing more. If you wanted to see what I could do, there were more cordial ways to do it."

Kyra had not meant to go on such a rant, but she was heated and she may as well let it all out now that there was a crowd. It made Daphnae have to decide on a course of action and it would either earn her some slack from those around her or it would make it ten times worse.

"Helen," Daphnae shifts her gaze, but her grip on Kyra doesn't lessen, "is this true? Did you give her those rules?"

"Yes, but-"

"But nothing." Daphnae cuts her off and releases her death grip on Kyra's shoulder. "Go find something to do to cool off and we will not be speaking of this again, am I clear? You should know better than this."

"I-," Helen looks like she's about to protest but thinks better of it, "yes, Daphnae."

Kyra can't withhold the self satisfied smug smile gracing her face as she watches Helen sulk off, but her victory is short lived as Daphnae whispers to her. "In the hut. Now."

Kyra leads the way and braces herself for the private fallout of her actions. The two of them needed to have a serious conversation anyway, but this really wasn't how she wanted to start it. Kyra turns to try to defend herself, but her words die on her tongue when she sees the fire raging from Daphnae's eyes.

"Do you know what you've done?" Daphnae asks rhetorically. "You might think this is all a game, but I assure you that the consequences are very real."

"I did nothing wrong." Kyra defends. "Maybe if I was actually spoken to like an adult, this kind of thing wouldn't happen."

"You're not the one in charge here."

"No, but I _am_ in charge somewhere and that within itself should get me treated better than that."

Daphnae looks almost amused by what she's saying, but that's not the desired outcome she had hoped for.

"You call yourself a "leader," but yet you abandoned your people to chase after a woman?" Daphnae scoffs without even trying to hide the arrogance. "Is that what you're telling me to respect? Because the way I see it is that you've entered _my_ home and are under _my_ control."

"I am under nobody's control."

"You may think that but you're wrong. If you're here, you're mine to use as I see fit. If you have a problem with it, I'd suggest you leave." Daphnae motions to the entrance behind her. "Nobody will stop you."

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Kyra challenges back. "You'd like it if I were to just disappear, leaving her here all alone. You may think you're smart, but I know what you're doing." Kyra didn't even bother to give a name as they both knew who she was talking about.

"You don't know anything." The shift in Daphnae comes in a blink and her repressed irritation turns into a wild anger. 

Kyra had hit a sore spot by Daphnae's reaction and she had to decide if here and now was the time for them to do this. Everyone had seen them come in here and she wouldn't be surprised if all ears were now on them too. As mad as she was by everything, she didn't want to ruin Daphnae's reputation. They may not get along, but she knew the damage could not be undone if the wrong ears were to overhear them.

Softening her own self projection, Kyra takes a much more neutral tone. "It is clear that we both have some... _issues_ to discuss with one another, but I don't think this is the time nor the place. Everyone is outside waiting for you and unless you want them to hear, I'd suggest we pause this."

"You're right, I do not have time to do this now, but I think you're right that we do need to speak to one another." Daphnae's mood also mellows as she gets her emotions back in check. "We can talk tomorrow as it is better that we get it done with."

"Name the time and place and I'll be there."

Kyra had the remainder of that evening to get her head (and heart) sorted on what exactly she wanted to say. There was a lot on the table and if this moment was a good indicator of what was to come, she couldn't miss a step. Daphnae was a strong willed woman (and, subsequently, that was very much Kassandra's type) and that meant that she would be ready to give Kyra the same lashing she was hoping to inflict herself. She had never imagined fighting over a lover before, but now that it was Kassandra that was ultimately up as the stakes, she was going to crush her.


	13. Girlfight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo long time no see...
> 
> I haven't fallen off the face of the earth, but it may have felt like that considering that this was almost a month without an update. Life just happens though and I got very caught up in TLOU2 with Dina/Ellie so my attention strayed for a good cause lol. That said, I felt guilty for letting this sit (along with my other WIP) so I've been putting it into high gear these past few nights to get something out for you all.
> 
> Originally this was supposed to be the end to Kyra's POV, but I wrote so much that I totally spaced that I hadn't touched upon her POV for chapter 11. I was faced with withholding this chapter and just making it ginormous (well, _more_ ginormous) or giving this to you now and making an extra chapter for Kyra. I chose the extra so she will have one more go around before we're all caught up to the present.
> 
> Please enjoy and I look forward to your comments 🧡
> 
> Brooke Valentine - Girlfight  
> https://youtu.be/JwOZWntoNTM

A renewed fire began brewing within Kyra now that she had time to think about what just happened between herself and Daphnae. After their brief argument, Daphnae left as swiftly as she arrived and Kyra was left alone to reflect on everything they spoke of. She hadn't realized it at the time because she was so focused on proving a point that she failed to see that she had derailed her momentum. She had blindly suggested a conversation for tomorrow, but this wasn't something that could wait. If there was bad blood brewing between them, what good would sleeping on this do? Not only that, but Daphnae was again throwing her weight around and setting the terms for what she was doing.

 _Daphnae_ was making the calls, _Daphnae_ was once again reminding Kyra of the power she held, _Daphnae_ was the one who would have the final say. She was going to use her power to her advantage and Kyra might have been impressed if it wasn't being directed towards her. Even though she was the one to suggest it, Daphnae had agreed far too quickly for Kyra's tastes and she can't help but think she caught her off guard. Daphnae wasn't prepared for her to strike so hard and call her out on her motives with Kassandra and she had been allowed to retreat to get her story straight. By just going along with what Kyra suggested, she allowed herself time to get her defenses prepared. Maybe Daphnae was busy like she claimed to be, but the more Kyra thought about it, the more she regretted offering her the out. It gave Daphnae the advantage and that wasn't something she should allow.

Kyra was going to break every social rule known to mankind for this, but she would not be made a fool of again. There had to be a line in the sand somewhere and she needed to be in control of where that was. If she didn't do this, if she didn't pursue Daphnae now, she would just show that she was a pushover when it came to something so serious. Kassandra was her own woman and would make her own choices ultimately, but the blatant disrespect Daphnae had for their relationship was not something she could let slide. The only reason she remained so passive to begin with was because of Kassandra, but now with them being more on the outs, she could see that she needed to be thinking of herself a bit more. There was, however, a high risk with pursuing Daphnae like this and it could possibly cost her Kassandra in the end anyway.

Kassandra hadn't told her anything substantial about Daphnae and their relationship, but she just knew there was so much more beneath the surface. It did worry her because it is always what you can't see that will cause your downfall the fastest. She got complacent and that is a dangerous territory to be in with matters of the heart. Love is based off emotional reactions and a pure feeling deep within and she had been everything but reactionary as of recent. She should have pressed for more information, she should have seeked out Kassandra and made her explain it, she should have done everything opposite of what she actually did. 

Gods... she was such an idiot sometimes.

There is so much she should have done differently since... well, since _everything_ , but she would constantly get in her own way and trip herself up. She's only been here for a short while, but her world has turned itself inside out and she can't pretend like everything didn't change with it. Who she is as a person, her values, Kassandra, all of that is so much different than it was before this all unraveled. She had lost herself, but each and every new day she's reminded a bit more of just who she used to be. It all sounds rather dramatic, but time really can have its way and she just has to get her footing once more and she'll get through this. She had not fought her whole life to lose now and that meant she had to grow a spine and stand up for herself. 

Kyra knew she had become far too reliant on Kassandra and what protection that amassed her and that needed to change. She had never had to hide behind another to get further in life, she made her own decisions and blazed her own path. It was so unlike her to just be so passive, but that's who she had become when she worked on rebuilding the pieces of herself that were shattered and broken. How Kyra wanted Kassandra to be the one to put her back together, but it became shockingly clear from Kassandra's recent behaviors that this would never happen (nor should it ever have). As much as Kyra's changed, Kassandra's changed just as much. Not that Kyra ever truly knew Kassandra to begin with (which is an issue all on its own), but what aspects of her she did know are now falling into the realm of "murky."

It has been hard for the both of them, Kyra will undoubtedly admit that, but it is hard to go through your own changes while navigating someone else's too. Perhaps it wouldn't be so hard if they just talked it out, but it seemed like they couldn't even get into proximity with one another without starting a fight. It was exhausting and, quite frankly, Kyra was over it. For whatever reason she had to be angry when this all unfolded, it seems to have faded from a fiery rage into a smothering smoke. It was only suffocating her with every breath as she choked on the ash that polluted her lungs. All she had been doing was fueling the flames that she never considered what would happen when the heat became too much. Now she was left to navigate this haze on her own and found herself wholly unprepared to do so.

So much of her world revolved around Kassandra that she never noticed how bad it had become, how dependent she had become on her. Kassandra became her everything in the blink of an eye and, while she doesn't regret it, she does wish it had been a bit different. She loved Kassandra with her whole being, but a love like that was very dangerous as it put her heart in Kassandra's hands and she was at her mercy. While she had to trust Kassandra wouldn't hurt her, she knew from experience that she would never have the tender care that one should. And, as much as it pained her to admit it, Daphnae did have a point when she said she abandoned everything for Kassandra.

She would never tell Kassandra any of this (for obvious reasons), but she knew she couldn't just keep living her life for someone else because what would be left for her? If she continued to give pieces of herself up for Kassandra, what would be left when the darkness sets in? Would she be able to keep herself from falling back down to the level she was when she got captured? Would she be strong enough to stand up and push on? The truth is no, no she wouldn't. She was strong, but there was only so much a person could take and her limits were well beyond crossed by this point. It is never easy to self assess, but it was something she needed to do for herself. There always needed to be a starting point and right now was as good as any. Feeling a surge of confidence, Kyra marches her way outside and heads directly towards Daphnae's hut.

As Kyra got closer to her destination, she could feel the eyes of the other Daughters boring into her. There was no love lost between them and as much as they tried, she would not allow them to shake any of the momentum she had going for herself. She couldn't lose her nerve now or she would never forgive herself so she ignored them the best she could while she closed the gap from where she was to where she wanted to be.

Upon reaching Daphnae's hut, Kyra notes that it is surprisingly quiet and that there didn't appear to be anyone here. Usually Daphnae had a few Daughters lingering just within shouting distance, but there was nobody here. She could still see the Daughters in the distance, but none seemed to be nearby. This meant either Daphnae wasn't here or that she was sleeping. Kyra was no stranger to odd hours so when the opportunity arose, she found herself taking naps throughout the day and she'd expect nothing different from Daphnae. The only way she'd know was to check so she takes the final steps up to the entrance and knocks firmly.

Silence.

Kyra knocks again, this time a bit harder.

Still nothing.

"Fuck." Kyra mutters to herself as the hype she'd worked herself up with began to fade. "Of course you'd not be here."

Dejected, Kyra took a step back, but before she could make it more than that, she heard a noise coming from the inside.

Kyra moves back to her previous position and knocks again, more insistently, and she can hear Daphnae's mumbling getting louder with each second.

"You'd better have a damn good reason why you're waking me up-." Daphnae's voice cuts out once she registers who is disturbing her and her annoyance level seems to increase tenfold. "Oh, it's you."

Even in her groggy state, Daphnae was a vision and she could see how someone could be enraptured by her. Now was not the time though as she had come here for a purpose and she could take the time to appreciate her beauty later.

"Yeah, it's me. I have changed my mind, we'll be having that conversation now." Kyra straightens her back to allow a more commanding voice to take over. She was here to show she meant business.

"Someone is feeling bold all of a sudden. Should I be impressed?" 

Daphnae's comment is dismissive and the laughter that follows is a clear sign that she doesn't take Kyra seriously. If she had a stronger mind, she'd allow Daphnae's dismissal to roll off her back, but she always was a bit of a hot head.

"You shouldn't be impressed, you should be worried." Kyra makes no falter on her delivery and she takes a further step towards Daphnae.

"Worried? No, not in the least. I have yet to see anything from you that's not self destructive."

Kyra inhales sharply, her nostrils flaring. It seemed that Daphnae knew just where to push to get a reaction from her.

"I'm not sure what has changed from then until now, but as I said before, _I_ make the rules here. This is not your home, these are not your people, they're _mine_." Daphnae closes the remaining gap between them, her dismissive demeanor of moments before shifting into something darker, more serious. "So the next words out of your mouth had better be an apology for overstepping or we will have a serious problem."

"We _have_ a serious problem already and you know it." Kyra's gaze burns hotter than fire and if she could, she'd have made Daphnae combust. "I don't know what you're playing at here, but Kassandra is off limits."

"Kassandra is a grown woman who is capable of making her own choices so I don't want to hear it from you."

"No, no that's exactly where it needs to come from." It was Kyra's turn to smile now because she knew more about Daphnae than she was aware of and could use that to her advantage. "Because I know about you, about the both of you and what happened. Seems your Daughters aren't as tight lipped as you'd hoped and what I know makes me the perfect person to speak to you. Kassandra is her own woman, true, but she is also _my_ woman. At the end of the day, she has my heart and I have hers, not you. We may not be on the best terms right now, but it is just another challenge for us and it is one we will get through _together_. Whatever you had with her is in the past and you'd be doing yourself a favor by leaving it there."

"How dare you." Daphnae snarls as the truth behind Kyra's words sink in. "You don't know what happened between us and neither do they."

"I know that your duty came before her and that you broke her heart. In a way, maybe I should thank you because her leaving you brought her to me."

Kyra boasts a satisfied smirk as she soaks in the moment, but this didn't feel as satisfying as she had imagined. It was a hollowness and she finds that she feels a bit bad for Daphnae. It couldn't be easy to love someone you could never have and it had to be painful. She finds that her earlier spark for conflict is diminished and that she just wanted her to back off.

"Look," Kyra's gaze softens as she wipes her hand down her face, cleaning the slate so to speak, "I don't like you and you don't like me, but we can both agree that we care deeply for Kassandra. Think about what is best for her and think if that answer is you. Your life is here, hers is across the Greek isles, you're in two different worlds. Could you give this all up for her or would you expect her to stop for you? You have Eliana here and she is wonderful and deserves someone who loves her like she loves you. Think about what you're doing here, please."

Kyra takes a step back to diffuse the tension between them and as she steps back, she can see a shimmer behind the eyes of Daphnae. She wasn't naive to think this had changed anything between them, but maybe (just maybe) the message would get through.

"You made your choice long ago so don't open old wounds if you have no intention of healing them. It isn't fair to Kassandra, Eliana, you, or myself. You're a smart woman, use some of that here and you'll see that I'm not wrong. Let her go." With that, Kyra fully backs away feeling satisfied that she's said her piece. Turing around, her back to Daphnae, Kyra strides back to her new hut where she's going to try to put this all behind her.

Her walk back was uneventful and it even seemed like the others weren't staring at her, but maybe she was just in her head too much to notice. Every bit of mental preparation she had done was for nigh because there a sheer lack of explosion from her end. There was so much anger she could have directed towards her, but when it came time, she didn't take that path. Not that her words didn't have a bite, but it was so very mild compared to how she had envisioned it playing out. There wasn't any screaming (although it was close) and Daphnae had, for the most part, remained silent as she went on her tangent. Perhaps it was too good to be true, but there was a part of Kyra that hoped this would be the end to this foolishness.

Her steps back weren't rushed, but there was a haste to her pace as she just wanted a moment to absorb what had just happened. She was always one who wanted to take a moment to evaluate what she did and there was much that needed to be considered. Daphnae surely wouldn't let her have the last word on this so it only would be a matter of time before she retaliated in some manner. Kyra had too much experience with grudges to think that this would be swept away in the wind, never to be spoken of again. However, that was not a problem for her right now so she should take this time and make the most of it before everything unravels. Her thoughts keep her occupied right up to the entrance of her new place of residence where she makes a beeline for her bed roll, unceremoniously flopping down on her stomach. 

Turning her head to the left, she spots the thicker wooden sticks Eliana had gifted her earlier along with the few she gathered herself scattered on the floor beside her. 

"I think you're just what I need right now." Kyra comments to herself as she reaches out to grab one. "I wonder how awful this will look? Guess there's only one way to find out."

Kyra adjusts herself up to a sitting position with her legs crossed to get comfortable as this would take concentration. She knew she was going to make a mess, but it comes with the territory of messing with sharp objects.

"Speaking of..." Kyra trails off as she scans around the ground next to her until she sees the tip of the blade. Not wanting to get up, Kyra leans forward and half crawls until the dagger is firmly grasped in her hand. "There you are. Now, let's see what we can do."

Her eyes squinting in focus, Kyra begins to slowly chip away pieces of the wood until it begins to take shape. She does her best to mimic what she did as a child, but much of her childhood memories were lost to both time and from her own repression. Still, even through the flurry of chaos that put her life in a chokehold, she could still remember her mater spending hours crafting such figurines to sell. It was one of the only memories she had left of her, but it was still painful to think about.

It wasn't until she felt a stinging sensation emitting from her thumb did she realize that she hadn't been paying attention at all and had nicked herself.

" _Malaka._ " She curses as she shakes her hand to try to stop the sting. "I guess I deserved this for not paying attention."

Taking this pause, it also allowed her to see just what her progress looked like. Even though she had been staring right at it, she didn't focus on more than the area she was working on so she hadn't actually seen what it looked like yet. Turning the figure around, Kyra takes a good look at her "creation."

"I'm so out of practice." Kyra chuckles to herself as she takes in her first try in years. It is hideously ugly and she got just about everything wrong, but it made her smile nonetheless. It was beyond recognition and it just confirmed to her that it wasn't something she could just remember how to do, that it would take effort and practice to get better if this was something she wanted to invest in.

Kyra doesn't give up though and just places the beyond repair figurine on the bed next to her and picks up the next piece to try again. She does this a few times, making slight progress as she goes, before she feels comfortable with the movements. 

That, however, would be changed.

Kyra can hear what appears to be voices just outside the door and, for a second, she believes it is Daphnae (or someone on her behalf) to retaliate until a few clear words give an identity to one of the mysterious voices. She would know Kassandra's voice anywhere and her guard drops almost immediately when it registers. Her tensed shoulders begin to relax and her clenched jaw eases as her mild panic subsides. It was rather crazy at how her body reacted to Kassandra off instinct alone and nobody else would be able to put her at such a state of comfort. Even if they weren't on the best of terms, she knew Kassandra would never cause her harm and that spoke volumes.

Kyra can feel a brief gush of air filter in so she tilts her head up for just a second to see Kassandra's back to her while she closes the door. She doesn't let her look linger and she, instead, turns her attention back to the figurines. Kassandra, however, doesn't seem to be moving at all from the sounds of it. If Kyra had to guess, she's probably getting a feel to the room as Kyra knew for certain that Kassandra hadn't seen this until now. It made her wonder how much of this Kassandra knew about or if this was a surprise to her too.

After a few moments of silence, Kyra decides to break the ice but not at the expense of her figurines so she keeps her eyes focused on the task at hand. "It isn't so bad once you get used to it. It is kind of nice to have the space back."

Still nothing from Kassandra, a disappointing (but not surprising) reaction. It wasn't ideal, but she would deal with it like she always did. They'd probably try some small talk before Kassandra decided that she wasn't having the conversation and she'd leave her alone. Again. Kyra _really_ was not looking forward to them awkwardly tiptoeing around one another.

She hadn't expected any conversation to stem from how this all started so when Kassandra did finally speak up, she was taken off guard.

"What are you doing?"

" _Small talk, guess it is something._ " Kyra thinks to herself before she responds.

"What does it look like I'm doing?"

Kyra hadn't intended it to sound as sharp as it did, but clearly she wasn't as "at peace" as she thought she was if she responded like that.

"I mean, it looks like you're making more figurines." 

Kyra pauses for only a moment as she wasn't expecting Kassandra to continue on. "Yup." 

"So why now?"

Little did Kassandra know what she was about to walk into because Kyra was not above petty jabs.

"It isn't like I can do much and there's only so long I can handle being my only company. I needed something to keep me busy so I decided to give it another try."

"When did you start it? It looks pretty far along."

"Earlier this morning. Eliana dropped it off before she took you on your patrol."

"Oh, that's nice of her to do. Seems like you've taken quite the liking to her."

Kyra picks up on her tone immediately and the implications behind it. Of _course_ Kassandra would think that because it was exactly what she would have done herself. And as much as it wasn't true, it didn't mean she couldn't play coy to what Kassandra meant.

"What isn't there to like? She's very sweet, caring, and reliable to just name a few. I don't think I'd be doing as well as I am without her."

"I, uh-." Kassandra's faltering tells Kyra that she was not only right, but that she'd been able to trip her up in the process before she recovers. "I'm glad she's been able to help you."

"Are you?" Kyra doesn't even bother to stop herself from calling Kassandra out on a very obvious lie, looking up for the first time to face her. She wanted to see Kassandra's reaction to this because there was no way she was telling the truth.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Kassandra's tone was defensive (and predictable).

Kyra looks deep within Kassandra's features to search for the truth, but she cannot tell one way or another. There was just so much that had changed since she was able to truly look at her and she found herself looking at a whole new person. Kassandra's cheeks were a bit more pronounced than they were and her eyes looked tired. Not the kind of tired after one bad night, but that of several sleepless nights. There was a lacking of _something_ behind her eyes, but Kyra couldn't quite put her finger on it. If she had to guess, she'd say Kassandra almost looked sad. She had no idea why she would be, but her composure and just her overall energy felt so far off from what was normal. Not that they had a "normal" anymore, but she still liked to think she knew her well enough to know when something wasn't right. 

This left her with a choice as she could inevitably poke holes in Kassandra's claim, but what good would that do? They'd fight, Kassandra would walk out, and she'd be by her lonesome. It was a viscous cycle and it was one she needed to break.

"If you say so."

It wasn't an outright rollover, but it did send the message that she didn't want to argue (and that was most important). She had still expected Kassandra to say something to acknowledge her, but as she glances back up, she just sees Kassandra just staring at her. There was a curiosity to her gaze and Kyra could feel herself become a bit self conscious under such an appraisal.

"Are you just going to stand there and stare at me?"

Kyra watches as Kassandra's vision goes back into focus, apparently unaware she had just been staring at her. At least Kassandra had the decency to look embarrassed by it as she quickly turns her head away and rubs the back of her neck.

"Sorry." Kassandra flounders up an apology, all while a light shade of pink begins to tint her cheeks.

Kyra couldn't help but think how cute she was like this and a genuine smile began to creep its way through. She had to shake her head a bit at the absurdity of this all because this day was just continually surprising her. How she had in her mind a set plan, only for the path to change directions completely. She hadn't expected this softness from Kassandra golem how poorly she had been treating her lately so, perhaps, this would be the perfect time to extend an olive branch between them.

"Want to try it?" Kyra asks, holding out one of the wooden blocks. "It isn't that hard and it is rather soothing, well, it is when you don't cut yourself." 

Kyra holds up her own hand to show off all the cuts she's managed in just a short while. She probably even had a splinter to two lodged within one of the cuts that she'd notice later on. 

"I've never made anything like that before, I'd probably make something ugly." Kassandra answers self consciously, a side Kyra rarely saw.

Not wanting to discourage her, Kyra tries to part some inspiration on her. "Even ugly things have a beauty, you just have to look a little harder. Nothing is wrong with your first work not being a masterpiece."

"But what if I'm no good?"

At first, Kyra wondered why this would even matter as of _course_ she wouldn't be good at this her first time, but just as quickly as the thought comes, another follows. This was _Kassandra_ she was talking about here, this was someone not used to not being good at something immediately. This was a woman who defied what it meant to be a human on a daily basis, she was not used to failing at anything, yet alone at something so trivial.

"You're not going to be good at everything, Kassandra. It is perfectly fine to have something you're not the best at, but you won't know unless you try." Kyra meant every word, but she also knew Kassandra well enough that it may not be enough to help dissuade her concerns so she would point out the most obvious reason as to just _why_ she would struggle. "Plus, your arm is still healing so you can just attribute any failures to that." 

Pausing her carving, she pats to a space next to her and motions for Kassandra to come near. "Why don't I show you and you can decide after that?"

Kassandra doesn't hesitate in her response and gives her an encouraging answer. "I can do that, yeah." 

Kassandra's movements looked a bit stiff and Kyra knew she wasn't feeling her best when a wince in her features made itself known (even if it was only a second) when she sat down just a bit too quickly. It pained Kyra to see Kassandra in such a state, but the woman didn't know how to relax and probably wasn't doing herself any favors. Kassandra couldn't sit still for the life of her so being sidelined like this had to have been a form of torture in its own way. Knowing Kassandra, she had probably not rested much and pushed herself too far and made it worse. It had to be hard to lose an ability that had been second nature for so long and their situation wasn't ideal for rest and healing so it made sense that she would keep trying to push on. The unfortunate thing with that state of mind is that her mind might tell her nothing had changed, but her body was poised to give out regardless of what she wanted. 

Kyra worried for Kassandra, maybe more than she should, but she couldn't just ignore the state Kassandra seemed to be in. It also gave her the opportunity to see her with her guard down and it made her heart ache to see her so distressed. There was so much resting on Kassandra's shoulders that she wishes she could share some of the burden, that she could make the world a little bit lighter, even for a little while. How she just wants to cradle Kassandra's face in her palms and tell her that everything would be alright, that life isn't as cruel as she believes it is. Alas, she's instead stuck as a spectator in Kassandra's world until Kassandra allows her to help, to be close enough to trust. 

She could only try and now was as good as any to work back towards that.

Focusing on her figurine, she makes sure to explain what she does and why for Kassandra to follow along. "The key is following the grain, otherwise you're probably going to make it look really disfigured. You also want to push the blade in a little at a time, making a scoop so it comes off nice and clean. The rest will come with practice."

Kyra continues working at more of the finer details and actually does pretty well (all things considered) and only slips a few times. She really wants this to look good to impress Kassandra so she fights off the urge to look at her. If she was to get this right, she needed to pay attention, but it became increasingly harder the more aware of their proximity she became. The warmth of their knees touching was as hot as coals and Kyra found herself getting tempted to touch. She was already playing with fire and the number one rule was _always_ "don't touch," but gods did she want to...

Needing to stop before she accidentally cut herself, Kyra decides to pass it along to Kassandra to continue. "Now it is your turn. Just try to envision what you want and it makes it easier to follow."

Handing her the figurine and the dagger, Kassandra looks to her for assurance. "Are you sure you want me to use yours? I'd feel bad if I ruined it for you."

"I can make another if I really want to. I promise that whatever happens to it is fine, I just want you to give it a try." And she meant it.

Kyra watches with precision as Kassandra takes the figure and her dagger and tries to replicate what Kyra had done. It wasn't going to be easy considering Kassandra really only had one arm to work with, but after a few immediate fumbles, she seems to have a system down. That didn't mean, however, that she was any good.

Kassandra almost immediately takes a large chunk away from the neck area and had dropped it a few times. Each time Kyra went to get it, Kassandra would grunt as if to say "back away" so she eventually got the hint and let her do it her own way. Kassandra still was new to this whole "help" thing so even something as insignificant as retrieving a dropped figurine was off limits. Kyra didn't mind though as it probably helped her feel more independent and that was not something she'd want to take away. The only concern she had was a small tremor in Kassandra's hands that made it difficult to hold the figurine steady. It had already earned her a few cuts, but Kassandra didn't seem to be fazed in the slightest.

Kyra switches her gaze from the figurine up to Kassandra's face and is greeted with the look of pure concentration. It wasn't often that Kassandra would have such a single focus, but the face she made when she was _really_ focusing was incredibly cute. It was at that moment when the siren song became louder and the urge to just feel Kassandra became too much. Taking the hand nearest to Kassandra, she lifts it from her own lap and places it on Kassandra's thigh and regrets it immediately. Not even a second after she places her hand down does Kassandra twitch at the contact, causing her to miss the figurine completely and, instead, slices her fingers in a deep cut. 

The blood wastes no time in making its escape and, soon, Kassandra's palm is just a pool of crimson. It doesn't take more than a few seconds before it begins to overflow and trickle down her arm, causing Kyra to panic.

"Your hand!"

She needed to find some sort of cloth to stop the bleeding and fast. Kassandra was already bad enough as it was, she _definitely_ didn't want to add blood loss to the list. She would just have to use something of hers for now until she had time to get something better. Anything was better than nothing at this point.

"Just hold tight, I've got something here to help stop the bleeding."

Kyra digs through her belongings and finds what she was looking for and tears a long strip of white fabric from the sleeve of one of her outfits. Not wanting to waste anymore time, Kyra goes right back to Kassandra. "Here, let me see your hand." 

Kassandra gives it willingly, but she still had a right grip on the figurine. Without thinking, Kyra smacks it away to the ground and places her focus back on Kassandra's hand, but Kassandra's mind was clearly elsewhere.

"Oh no! I broke your thing!"

"Your hand is bleeding and your worried about that? "How could she even be worried about that when she was losing blood at such a heavy rate?

"But it was yours and it was important to you, I didn't mean to destroy it."

Kyra hesitated upon hearing the emotion within Kassandra's voice, taking a moment to pause before she spoke next. It was clear something was bothering her enough to have her so shattered at a broken object so she needed to speak carefully to not further upset her.

Softening her voice, Kyra works towards calming Kassandra down and offering her reassurance. "Kassandra, _you're_ what's important to me, not some piece of wood. That is replaceable, you're not."

Kyra had hoped the words struck the right chords, but judging by how Kassandra still looked, she had just made it worse somehow. She needed to fix it, but she had no idea what "it" was. She needed to get Kassandra to tell her what was wrong.

"Hey, look at me please." Kyra requests and as Kassandra complies, she smiles. "It was an accident and all that matters to me is that you're safe. I shouldn't have pushed you to do this so this is on me."

"On you? I don't see how any of this is your fault. You didn't force me to do this."

"No, but I did touch you and that's when you made the mistake. I made you uncomfortable and, for that, I'm sorry." Gods knows she was. She couldn't help but feel guilty for all of this as it was never her intention for Kassandra to react like that, she still was the cause of everything that came after.

"I was the furthest thing from uncomfortable, trust me."

The blush that crept up Kassandra's cheeks told Kyra everything she needed to know.

Oh.

_Ohhhhhhh._

Oh wow.

Kyra's breath catches as her mind buzzes with this newly acquired information. She hadn't meant to do it, but she just couldn't stop herself as she was having the exact same thoughts only mere moments ago. Did this mean that she was interested in them again? Was she reading too much into this? Tons of questions buzzed within her mind, but the sticky feeling between her fingers made her remember what she was doing and that Kassandra still had a wound that needed caring for.

Kyra traces Kassandra's palm, only stopping before she reaches the wound itself. "I think this is going to scar, the cut was pretty deep. I don't know if what I have here is enough to help." Moving her fingers up to the site of the injury, Kyra presses the cloth firmly. "Keep a hold of this cloth to absorb the blood, it should hopefully stop before I need to change it."

"You forget, I can heal myself."

"Can you still?" Kyra asks in all seriousness. She had no idea if Kassandra was strong enough for something like that as she could only assume it was physically taxing.

"Yes? At least I think so." Kassandra didn't sound too confident, but it wasn't something Kyra would argue otherwise.

"It's just that every time I tend to run into you, something has happened. It is like you have a new injury each day," Kyra motions up towards Kassandra's new facial scar, "it worries me."

"I appreciate your concern, but I've only had minor issues since I got here. I'm doing much better than I was and this," Kassandra's eyes motion up towards her forehead, "doesn't even hurt anymore."

The false bravado would do her no good here as it was so clear that she was the _opposite_ of better and she was going to call her bluff. "Oh yeah? Let's see about that."

Kyra reaches her hand forward and presses her thumb firmly on the bridge of Kassandra's nose and, as expected, she instantly hissed and swatted away her hand.

"Ow!" Kassandra gives her an agitated glare that was well deserved. "Fine! Ok, maybe it isn't totally pain free yet, _but_ it is better than it was."

This opens up a dialogue that she's been dying to have since she spotted it. The new wound (that would undoubtedly scar) was over her left eye, cutting through her brow, over her eyelid, and coming to rest at the edge of the bridge of her nose. It wasn't very thick, but there was no denying its presence and her curiosity was rampant at how this could have happened. There were only a few days they hadn't seen one another so it (obviously) happened when she wasn't around and she didn't recall there being an altercation so its presence had to come from something other than a fight. She could keep speculating like she was doing now or she could just do the smart thing and ask.

She was going with the latter.

"How did you manage that by the way? It looks like it was painful to get."

"Ummmm..." Kassandra looks away and Kyra sees a few different emotions flash across her face. Embarrassment? Shame? Both? Either way, it told Kyra that there was definitely a story here and she just had to know.

"Oh, that bad huh? Now you _have_ to tell me!"

"You have to promise not to laugh."

"Oh Kassandra," Kyra shakes her head a bit in amusement, "now I _know_ this is going to be hilarious!" 

Kyra _had_ to know now with that kind of lead up and her mind began to race with creative ways that it could have come about. Was she practicing catching blades and move too slow? Did she catch a lone claw from an animal as she was outside the village? The possibilities were endless.

Kassandra clears her throat, a sign that Kyra needed to stop thinking and pay attention as her question would soon be answered.

"I... fell."

"You fell?" 

_"How vague."_ Kyra thinks to herself before she digs for more. "Last I knew the ground couldn't do damage like that so there is more to this story that you're holding out on. Come on, spill it."

"I don't even remember when I did it specifically, but Daphnae and I were in her tent and she wasn't listening to me so I stood up and kind of... tripped over myself."

 _Oh no._ This must have been what happened to her when Eliana and Helen were fighting. She was far too weak to be standing (yet alone moving) and her body gave out on her. Any amusement Kyra had before had evaporated and a look of concern took its place. 

"Next thing I knew, I was walking up hours later with a massive headache and this baby."

Kassandra looks at her like she's waiting for her to laugh, but she could never on something like this. It wasn't just a harmless fall and maybe in the future it would be something to laugh about, but not now. This wasn't the time to joke about such things and she wouldn't stoop to that level. If anything, it made her want to hold her tight and keep the world at bay for just a while longer. To protect Kassandra like she'd done time and time again for her. 

Kyra doesn't realize she's doing it at first, but her hand had a mind of its own as it reaches out to hover over the mark. It hurt her to see this and it gave her bad thoughts of what else could've gone wrong. What if her eye got punctured and became blinded? What if it killed her?! "I don't know why you'd think I'd laugh at that. You could've had something worse happen to you! Did you hit something on the way down?"

"Yeah, Daphnae told me I landed face first into the corner of her chest, hitting hard enough that it knocked me unconscious."

" _Daphnae. Of course it had to do with her_." Kyra holds in her complaint and opts to just withdraw her hand from Kassandra's face instead of commenting. Daphnae was shaping up to be a real pain in the ass and Kyra was finding it hard to find any redeeming qualities in this woman. That said, she still knew how much Kassandra cared for her so she would put on the best face she could. She would, however, be keeping her little tiff with Daphnae a secret for now, pretending it never happened as it was nothing that concerned Kassandra quite yet.

"I haven't spoken to her yet, but I know what Eliana has shared and she seems nice."

This was a lie. This was a big lie, but she felt it harmless enough at this point. She really didn't want to explain why they met or what they spoke of so if she needed to stretch the truth, she would.

"She is. She's also completely devoted to her people at all costs."

 _So I've heard._ Kyra thinks but doesn't say since she hadn't heard this from Kassandra and she was never one to treat gossip as truth. She wouldn't, however, be above insinuation.

"Eliana spoke very highly of her leadership skills so I can imagine. Must be hard to live for someone else like that, with her devotion to Artemis and all."

Kassandra looks over her like she can see right past the flimsy façade she's erected, but if she does, she doesn't bring attention to it.

"I'm sure it wasn't easy, but good leaders can make the hard decisions when others can't. It is a sacrifice I know she's willing to make and I respect her for having such a conviction."

Kyra knows there's far more to this than what Kassandra was willing to share, but she wasn't going to press. She knew Kassandra and she knew that it would be a lost cause to pry if she wasn't willing. It wasn't something she had an interest in doing at the current moment so she'd just let it drop. It meant the conversation was all but over and that it was better to let it lie than to jostle it further.

"Right." Kyra agrees to move the conversation along to something else entirely. "Let's see that hand now, I want to see if it stopped bleeding." 

Kyra unwraps the soiled cloth and discards it to the ground beside her before, not caring where it landed so long as it was out of the way. She grabs the other half of the sleeve she tore off and begins to rewrap, that is, until she realizes it had cauterize on its own. 

Forgetting about Kassandra's abilities for a split second, Kyra looks at the wound in amazement. "It looks to have stopped on its own, that is so strange."

"I told you, I have the skills." Kassandra answers with a few raises of her brows, all while flexing her cut fingers.

"You most certainly do." Kyra can't help but read into it and doesn't try to stop the small chuckle that passes her lips. 

A lull in their discussion follows and, for once, the silence isn't deafening. It felt nice, really nice actually. It reminded her of when they first got on, not having to force a conversation, but enjoying the company within the silence. Silence almost always meant anything but, festering the loudest absence of sound that could be imagined. Silence was only an illusion that could be shattered with the right person at the right time, and for Kyra, now was that time. She felt comfort in the absence of anything and the tranquility that followed was serene. Neither she nor Kassandra had to _be_ anything and, for once, they were fine with that.

A knock nearby breaks Kyra train of thought and she notes how much darker it had gotten in a matter of moments. How she hadn't noticed it before was beyond her, but she didn't have to wait for long to see just who it was.

"Good evening Kyra, Kassandra." Eliana greets the two of them as she walks over with a cloth bag in her hand. "I brought you both some food for the night."

That was just like Eliana to be so thoughtful. How a person as pure as her could be with a snake like Daphnae was outside the realm of her comprehension. She felt bad for Eliana, but there wasn't anything she could really do to help her. That was a battle she would have to forge on alone, but she could give her all the support now.

Rising from her seat beside Kassandra, Kyra engulfs Eliana in a warm hug of gratitude. "Thank you! That was very kind, you spoil us."

Kyra pulls back to look at the food, but notices a scowl with a pout on Kassandra's face. It was nothing but rude as Eliana had been nothing but kind to her and she wasn't going to allow Kassandra to act like this around her.

"Kassandra, wasn't this nice of her to do?"

"Yes, thank you for supper."

It didn't sound that sincere, but Eliana seemed to have accepted it nonetheless.

"I am going to head to sleep, but you know where to find me if you need anything."

"I believe only Kyra knows that." Kassandra comments rather snidely. "I would have no idea where to find you as I can't say I've had the pleasure of being in your room." 

_No fucking way._ Kassandra was really going to go here, right now, and make this into something it wasn't. Kyra could feel the jealousy pouring off Kassandra in waves and she had half a mine to call her out on it while the other half wanted nothing more to apologize to Eliana for the bad behavior, but she didn't have to choose.

"It is just on the other side of camp, right next to Daphnae's. I know you know where that is."

Eliana's response was calculated and Kyra recognized a retaliatory jab when she saw one. Eliana too was wise to Kassandra's time with Daphnae and wasn't about to stand for the hypocrisy.

Kyra may have given her a compliment on the quip, but she didn't want to make it any worse and, at this point, it was just better for Eliana to leave and take her victory. "We will be fine. Good night, Eliana."

Eliana gives her a small smile before she disappears into the night, leaving the two of them together again, but with a much different atmosphere than before. 

"You could at least try to be nice to her." Kyra scolds as she picks up a few pieces of bread to eat.

"I am nice! She and I were friendly on our patrol this morning so I don't know what you're talking about."

"Wait," Kyra pauses her bite, "they let you go on patrol?"

"I was watched like I was a child, but yeah."

There's that preferential treatment striking again. Daphnae could be the only one to make that call and even though Kassandra didn't appear to be ready for it, she gave it to her anyway. Typical.

"Must be nice. The most exercise I've gotten was walking from the healing hut to the waterfall to bathe."

There was a bitterness to her voice, but she didn't care. Here Kyra had been, craving a chance to have some freedom and she gets stuck with Helen "testing" her and making her feel like an idiot.

Kassandra must have picked up in her soured demeanor because she tries her best to help her out.

"Did you want to go on a patrol? I could talk to Daphnae on your behalf to see if she's open to the idea."

As much as she wanted out, being on patrol wasn't her idea of a good time. She'd be forced to be with someone (most likely Helen out of spite) and that wasn't her ideal vision for how her day was to go. No, she'd rather be bored out of her mind than stuck with the company of the vast majority of these women.

"I'd rather not if it is anything like you've described. I don't do well when someone else is calling the shots and just aimlessly walking doesn't sound very appealing either."

"Well, how about we go for a walk tomorrow morning? It would give you the chance to stretch your legs."

"Really? With just me?" Kyra is surprised by the suggestion, but couldn't be happier by it. "I think I'd really like that."

"I want to go back to where I first arrived and retrace my steps to see if I left anything behind." 

It didn't matter where they went so long as it was just the two of them. Kyra was just happy to be outside these walls so the destination was no concern of hers. She was, however, curious as to what Kassandra was looking for. "Have you lost something?"

"I'm not sure. That time was a bit of a blur and I just feel like something is off."

Kassandra must be talking about the ruins in that case, a place that Kyra had come to know as yet another place of disappointment and oppression. It wasn't her ideal spot for a walk, but as she thought earlier, it was better than here. The only thing that made her hesitate was the fact that Kassandra seemed to have an ulterior motive for this "walk." Kassandra clearly had something specific in mind that she wasn't sharing and as much as it pained her to think it, maybe someone else would be better to lend a hand.

"I'm not sure I'll be much good as I don't remember what you've been carrying and I'm not as skilled a tracker. Maybe Daphnae would be able to help you better?"

Daphnae would know those ruins inside and out so if anyone could locate what Kassandra needed, it'd be her.

"That's the thing though, Daphnae can't know about it. In fact, none of them can."

If Kyra hadn't been interested before, she surely was now with that confession. This meant this was secret and would most likely land them both in hot water if it were to go south. But this was _Kassandra_ that was looking to her for help and she was not about to leave her to do whatever it was alone.

"I feel there is more to this than you're telling me, but I'm in."

"I can explain-," Kassandra begins to ramble on, missing over the fact that Kyra had agreed with her until it clicks, "...wait, you're in?"

"Yeah, I'm in. It doesn't matter if I know why, I trust you."

And she did. There was never any doubt and it wasn't until now that she understood that. Her trust in Kassandra _had_ been broken, but she still knew deep down that she would not hurt her like that again. She couldn't explain why because nothing Kassandra hadn't done anything recently to resolidify their foundation, but something within Kyra just knew. Plus, now if Kyra's hear breaks, it is her own doing.

"I, uh-, wow... thank you." Kassandra stumbles over her words in a very Kassandra way.

It makes Kyra smile seeing her so flustered, it was a good look on her.

"Is there anything I should know before we go?"

At the talk of business, Kassandra's mirroring smile fades and her face shifts into something far more serious. "I specifically need to go back to the ruins as there are a heap of bodies I haven't looted and I'm worried that the animals will pick them clean before I get the chance."

It had to be important to Kassandra for her to be so serious, probably something related to the cult if she had to guess. There was already a slim chance that anything would still be there so if they had hoped to find anything they'd need to go now.

"What are we still doing here then? If you need to get to the ruins, I want to help you."

"I will be honest with you, we're not supposed to go there. I tried earlier on my patrol and Eliana forbade it per Daphnae so you could get in trouble. I don't know if you've not noticed, but it is night time and I don't want to use torches as that's the fastest way to be spotted."

"I can?" Kyra questions Kassandra's wording. "Did Daphnae give you some secret immunity from consequences that I don't know about? "Do you think yourself above being called out?"

"No. If anything, I'm held to the rules more than everyone else."

 _"Doubtful_." Kyra thinks to herself. There's no way Kassandra is held to anything from the looks of it, but now was not the time to argue merits.

"So _we_ could get in trouble, not just me and I'm fine with that. Plus, I already said I'm in so do you want to try to talk me out of it or do you want to come up with a plan? The longer we wait, the less we'll find."

Kyra's fortitude seems to have rendered Kassandra speechless for a minute because she stares at her like she doesn't quite believe what she's hearing.

When words finally do find Kassandra, it's directly to the point. "You're right. How much time will you need to be ready?"

"None, but I'm not the one who's got a deformed hand right now." Kyra motions down to Kassandra's bandaged hand. "Are _you_ going to be able to do this?"

"I will live and the bottom of the ruins are wide open so I shouldn't have to do any climbing."

That makes it easier, but she is still worried about Kassandra pushing herself too hard. If something were to happen, she's not sure she could get her back here without help. 

Shaking the negative thoughts from her mind, Kyra gets back to some practicalities. "Do we have anything to start a fire? We'll have to take one of the torches outside as I don't have one handy."

"I have something so we should be fine."

"I'll head out first." Kyra volunteers as she moves towards the door. "Give me a couple minutes before you leave and we'll meet just beyond the entrance right of the door."

"Understood."

With that, Kyra works her way to their rendezvous, keeping an eye out for any patrols or stray Daughters. She wasn't as nimble as Kassandra was in the dark so she stayed near enough to the lit torches to guide her path. The light became more scarce the deeper outside the village she got and she found herself tripping over fallen debris more often that she would've liked. Her only saving grace was the light illuminating from the sky above her, but it didn't help with the darker objects that block her path.

Satisfied that she was far enough away, Kyra idly waits for Kassandra to find her. In the meantime, her hearing becomes acutely hyper vigilant as she listens for the smallest noise to alert her to any nearby presences. There probably was no need for her to be on her guard like this, but old habits die hard.

The minutes pass by with no sign of Kassandra and Kyra begins to worry until a stick snaps to her left. That had to be her or else she's going to have a different problem in a few seconds.

"Psst, Kyra," Kassandra whispers to her from deeper in the forest, "come here."

"Took you long enough, I was starting to think you got cold feet." Kyra whispers back as she treks her way into the forest to where Kassandra was.

"I know where to go, but it is going to be dark and we cannot afford to light a fire yet, will you be alright to follow?"

"Of course you can see in the dark, why am I not surprised?" Kyra allows her bewilderment to be voiced aloud. "I hate to tell you, but I can barely see my hand in front of my face right now, but I'll try."

Kassandra didn't answer her with words and, instead, Kyra felt a strong yet soft grip of Kassandra's hand within her own. "I've got you."

It was Kassandra's only form of stability and here she was offering it to Kyra. She was glad Kassandra couldn't see her because her body betrayed her at the touch and her face felt as warm as if she was standing next to a fire.

In an attempt to get her body back into focus, Kyra tries her hand at a joke. "Don't let me fall, I wouldn't want to copy your new look."

"You just don't want to fall for me, I get it."

"If only you knew." Kyra whispers softly, not realizing she hadn't kept it to herself until Kassandra chimes in.

"What's that?"

"Nothing, nothing," Kyra quickly deflects, "just keep your eyes up front. This forest is just brimming with animals who want me for a late night snack."

"I won't let anything happen to you." Kyra feels a light squeeze from their conjoined hands. "I promise."

Their walk through the forest was surprisingly uneventful and was actually quite nice. The wind was a nice breeze and the flutter if the leaves at their feet provided a nice cover for their footsteps. Kassandra had kept her word thus far and even though she's had a couple of close calls, Kassandra was always holding her steady. Kyra claimed her less than stellar footwork was due to the darkness, but that wasn't completely true as she also found herself getting lost in Kassandra's touch and spacing out. How was she expected to pay attention to anything else when Kassandra was holding her so? It just wasn't possible.

"It isn't far now, we're close." Kassandra advises her as they begin an uphill walk.

After another few minutes, Kyra cam see the outline of the crumbling structure before her. The sky was shining bright amongst the ruins and it gave her pause to consider just what stood here before. It must have been quite the marvel with its side, probably something for the richer folks to keep locked away from the rest of the world.

Kassandra brings them a into an open area before she finally stops, releasing Kyra's hand soon after. With the loss of Kassandra's warmth, Kyra clenches her fist to try to ignore the chill it leaves behind, but it was more than a few seconds before a roaring flame was ignited in front of her very eyes.

"Here, you take it." Kassandra offers up the freshly lit torch to her, to which she gladly takes. "I can see well enough by the natural light."

"What exactly am I looking for?"

"Bodies."

Well, she _did_ ask for specifics.

"Do you really think they'll still be here? It has been a little while and the animals are bound to have caught their scent."

"I have to try. I don't know what it is, but something is telling me that I overlooked something important here. I didn't pay attention to anything when I was here last as I was too focused on finding you. If this was their base, they _must_ have information on the cult."

An unwarranted flashback strikes Kyra's mind and she winces at the thought. Her body tenses for a split second as she feels everything wash over her like she had never left. What stood out the most was the fear she felt that every second would be her last, that nobody was coming to find her. She had never been so lost in her life than she was then, but she's not there anymore and she tries to pull herself back from where her mind wandered. It felt like it was so long ago, but she knew it was only a matter of a week or two by this point. Her perception of time had forever been skewed and it was both a blessing and a curse.

Kyra felt her breathing get a bit more labored and she knew that she needed to get some space to be alone. They would need to split up anyway so she would just go and get a head start.

"I will see what I can find and I'll call for you if I see anything of use."

"Kyra, wait!" Kassandra's hand wraps her own once more, stopping her in her tracks. "I appreciate you doing this with me. I know it hasn't been easy lately, but it means a lot to me that you're here."

Kyra smiles and gives Kassandra's hand a brief squeeze, rubbing her thumb softly over the top of Kassandra's. "I'm just glad I can help. I'll holler if I need you."

Kyra heads off to the left while Kassandra goes the right, both searching for something that may not exist, but both giving it their best shot. Kyra scans inside the tattered rooms, but nothing strikes her as important. It just seemed to be crumbled stone and dirt, all utterly worthless. She would find scraps of clothing, but nothing large enough to warrant her picking it up on the off chance it held a note.

Just an endless sea of nothing.

Kyra had searched through three different areas, all to no avail and she knows there's more here to go, but it just seems fruitless at this point. Hopefully Kassandra had better luck, but she doubted it since she hadn't notified her of anything. As much as she was fine with it at the time, Kyra it regrets not asking for specifics because she could've been so much fast if she knew _what_ Kassandra needed.

Kyra was about to stop for a moment when an odd smell hits her square in the face.

"Oh gods, what is that?!" It smelled putrid, but there was something mildly enticing about it. It was almost a familiar smell, but something wasn't quite right...

Taking a few steps forward, the wind blows an even strong whiff in her face. It smelled like death blended with something rotten and charred. She tries to still her stomach from churning by placing the back of her hand over her nose and mouth, but it didn't do much as the damage was already done. Lifting the torch to see just what was the source of such an odor, Kyra's eyes go wide in horror.

Bodies. 

Dozens of bodies.

But this wasn't just a mass grave, this was deliberate as what remained of these people were charred husks. 

"Kassandra? You need to come see this!" She calls out in a panic, wondering if the culprits for such a deed still lingered nearby.

Kassandra was by her side quicker than she could blink and Kyra didn't even have to look at her to know she shared the same horrified expression.

It was probably a foolish question, but it was one she needed to ask in the hopes that Kassandra knew more about it. "What happened here?"

Kyra looked to Kassandra for an answer, but it was clear that Kassandra was as lost as she was. Who could have done such a thing? There had to be a dozen bodies, maybe more, and all were stacked up and lit like they were kindling on a fire. Kyra had seen some pretty horrible things in her life, but this was on a whole new level.

"Malaka!" Kassandra shouts in frustration. "I was too late and now I have nothing."

It appeared Kassandra did know more than she was letting on, but also that this particular discovery was news to her as well. Kyra was confused to say the least and she would get answers from Kassandra, just maybe now wasn't the right time to do that. She needed to help Kassandra so that meant trying to figure out who could've done such a thing. Not only that, but they also had to remain anonymous to not alert the patrols and there weren't many people who could think of such a plan like this.

"Do you know who did this? Could it have been on of the Daughters? Maybe that was the reason they didn't want you coming here."

"Daphnae would never permit this." Kassandra defends her, even though that's where the most logical direction points them. "This is beyond anything she would ever do. I know her better than that."

"You _knew_ her, Kassandra, and you know better than anyone that people can change. Whatever she's told you could be a lie to get you to help her."

"She wouldn't lie, not to me."

Kassandra sounded so sure that it _almost_ made her believe it too, but Kyra knew better. 

She's seen a side of Daphnae that was unlike anything she'd been advised so for her to do something so shady was not far off the mark. "Have you asked her about this specifically? This isn't information anyone is just going to voluntarily provide. You will have to be direct and you may not like what you find."

Kyra knew from firsthand experience just how bad it could be, but sometimes it was the only way to learn. "I know you love her, but that doesn't mean she's not using you. Sometimes it is those we care for the most holding the blade into our back."

Kyra watches as Kassandra's brows scrunch in deep thought mired with confusion as she absorbs everything she's saying. It at least meant she was listening and that what was most important. Even if she was still in denial about Daphnae, she was willing to hear her out.

"Look, Kassandra, I know you don't want to believe me, but who else could have done this? It looks like a dozen or more bodies are here and they didn't die and light themselves on fire."

"It is possible I missed one of them, there can be another explanation..."

Kassandra _still_ is giving her the benefit of the doubt, even when another option just isn't possible. These bodies couldn't have done this themselves and the Daughters had a chokehold and...

Hang on just a second now, what the hell did Kassandra just say? So caught up in her defensiveness, Kyra completely overlooked the most shocking admission Kassandra had shared.

"Wait, wait... so you're telling me _you_ killed all these people?" 

_Kassandra_ had done this? When? _How?_ There are so many of them and there's only one of her. It just isn't possible... what the hell happened here and how didn't she know about it?

"Yes." A hint of shame passes over her features until a hardness sets in, sending a chill down Kyra's spine. "This is where I thought you were being held and I just worked my way through them trying to find you. Eliana had already rescued you at this point, but I wasn't more than a day behind."

" _How?!_ " They outnumber you ten to one!" 

"It was actually twenty to one, maybe twenty two to one."

_Jokes. Of course she'd have jokes._

"Oh pardon me, how silly of me to forget ten _additional_ people to this. Gods, Kassandra! That's absolutely crazy!"

"I've always told you I was a monster and this, _this_ is what I have to do. I kill people, bad people, and I have no choice. It was them or me and it can never be me."

Kassandra was right. It could never be her, no matter the cost. Kyra is ashamed at how quickly she judged Kassandra's actions before thinking of just _who_ these people were. These were the cultists who could murder men, women, and children in cold blood and not bat an eye. These were dangerous people and, of left to their own devices, would watch the world burn if it would keep them warm. Kyra knew her face held nothing back during this exchange so she knew Kassandra saw the fright that passed over her, she saw the fear and she confirmed it. Kassandra hadn't deserved her waiver and she needed to make this right. 

"You're not a monster and I'm sorry that I reacted badly to make you think that," Kyra looks away in shame, "I was just not expecting this. I know you don't kill just anyone and these were cultists so their death was just a matter of time. That's just _so_ much for a lone person."

"It's me, Kyra, are you really _that_ surprised?"

"I suppose not. I guess I just haven't gotten used to the fact that you're a literal demigod. It isn't every day that I meet someone like you."

Kyra had said this in an attempt to lighten the mood, but the reaction she got from Kassandra was not what she had anticipated.

"I'd hope not, I want to be the only "me" in your life. I don't think I could handle having that kind of competition."

It had been unspoken up until this point, but it told Kyra that Kassandra hadn't moved on from her completely. If she was jealous of the people in Kyra's life, that meant she still had to care in some way. She had been grasping for crumbs as of late and now, with this confession, she got a better insight into Kassandra's mindset. Unlike Kassandra, however, Kyra made no point to hide her feelings because there would be no point. Kassandra was the end all, be all. Kassandra was her everything and nothing would change that.

"It only ever is you."

An understanding passes between the both of them and Kyra finds herself feeling calm, even in the face of everything. She didn't want to get her hopes up, but she would allow herself this moment to appreciate fully what Kassandra meant to her. It had been anything but easy, but at the end of the day, they were both still here and both still standing. Kyra may not know what looms over the horizon for them, but as long as they're together, they can face anything and become stronger because of it. 

She just had to believe Kassandra felt the same.

Desperately wanting a change of scenery, Kyra decides to speak up. "We should get going as we have a long walk back unless there's more you were looking for?"

"No, this is enough for tonight." Kassandra let's out a defeated sigh. "It is late and we should get going before it gets light out."

"After you." Kyra motions for her to take the lead and the two walk in a comfortable silence until they reach the exit at the bottom of the ruins.

A snap of a stick could be heard nearby and it made Kyra pause, but once Kassandra's arm flew out to ensure she halted, she knew it was serious.

"I hear something." Kassandra whispers to her.

Kyra immediately shifts into a defensive stance and unsheathes her dagger. There were endless possibilities of what could have made that sound, but she was not about to let herself get caught off guard. Kassandra was as sturdy as a ship as she gazed towards the direction of the sound. Kyra didn't know what she was doing, but it was clear by Kassandra's eyes that she was in another world entirely. It still shocked her when Kassandra would do things like this, but she took comfort in the fact that they would have an advantage because of it. Kyra dared not speak to interrupt her so she bided her time until Kassandra gave the orders.

After a handful of seconds, Kassandra finally speaks to confirm the source of the noise. "Fuck, it's the Daughters."

That wasn't good news at all. They were not supposed to be here and now they were caught red handed.

"It is just us, Kassandra and Kyra, so you can come out now." Kassandra announces as she moves to position her body in front of Kyra.

The movement meant nothing as the Daughters would not harm them (at least she hoped not), but the gesture was still sweet nonetheless.

A figure walks through the gate and after a few steps, Kyra knows it is Eliana leading this charge. Kyra would've been able to spot her just about anywhere because of how well she's gotten to know her, but this was a new side to Eliana she had never seen before. There was a righteous fury to her eyes and it was abundantly clear that this had been a large breach of trust between Kassandra and Eliana.

Not bothering to announce herself, Eliana begins ripping into Kassandra and holds nothing back. 

"I don't know how much clearer I could have made myself to you earlier, but when I say an area is off limits, I mean it is off limits! I have gone out of my way for you and this is how you thank me? By breaking the _only_ rule I gave you? You are a real piece of work."

Kyra had to work fast if there was any hope of keeping Kassandra from being burned alive like their unlucky discovery from only a few moments prior. Eliana was _livid_ at Kassandra and she was probably the most level headed one of the group. Not only did it show Kyra a new side to her friend, but it also helped confirm her earlier suspicion that the Daughters were involved in whatever this was. There was no way they would be this upset over them being here if there wasn't something they were hiding. Kyra didn't know what it was just yet, but she would make it a point to find out. There still was the current matter of an excuse, but Kyra had an idea for that. It would be a long shot, but it was all she had.

"This wasn't Kassandra's idea," Kyra chimes in, moving from behind Kassandra to beside her, "it was mine."

"Yours?" Both Kyra and Kassandra say in unison.

"I had wanted to come here to see where I had been held captive and Kassandra came to get me once she realized I was gone. I just couldn't stop dreaming of this place and I thought seeing it in person would help me move on." Remembering every technique she's ever used to diffuse a hostile situation, Kyra makes her posture as small as possible to show submissiveness. "I had no idea it was forbidden so if anyone is going to be punished, please let it be me."

Kyra gives her best puppy dog eyes as she awaits to hear their fate, hoping that the lie was convincing enough to keep them around. She watches Eliana's face intently as it goes from enraged to something much softer, a sign that she may just get through this after all. 

"Stand down!" Eliana orders as she shouts over her shoulder towards the still hidden women that lined the edges of the opening. "You're lucky neither of you got hurt up here." Eliana looks to Kyra when she speaks, telling her that this was meant for her specifically. "Come, let's get you both back to camp."

The walk back was awkward and neither she nor Kassandra dared speak out of turn. They were not out of the clear yet so it was best that they tucked tail and followed obediently to keep the peace. Eliana chided them both once they got to their hut, but her tone was lacking any on the venom it had previously carried. At least for Kyra, it showed that she was just concerned for her and Kyra hoped that whatever the Daughters were mixed up in, that Eliana was not involved.

Once Eliana departed, Kyra just sort of stood in place to process what had just happened tonight. There was so much wrong with how it all unfolded so it was a little hard to believe that they seemed to have gotten away with it.

"I can't believe that just happened... You were amazing!" Kassandra exclaims as a proud smile beams across her face.

"I had a plan b," Kyra shrugged, "just in case we got spotted."

What she didn't say was that "plan b" had only been conceived about thirty seconds before it was needed, but that was just details and wasn't important.

"I thought for sure we were getting kicked out, you really saved me back there."

Kyra felt Kassandra's appreciation and it had been a while since she'd gotten such a high caliber praise.

"I know you may find it hard to believe, but I don't enjoy seeing you get in trouble and lectured like a small child." 

"Yeah you do, but you just like being the one to do it." Kassandra teases like she knew she wasn't wrong.

"You're lucky you're injured or I'd hit you right now." Kyra ribs back, a smile gracing her lips to match Kassandra's.

A playful glint flashed behind their eyes and Kyra found herself remembering just why she fell in love with Kassandra to begin with. It wasn't her physique (although that was indeed a benefit), it wasn't her battle tactics, it wasn't her tough exterior. What Kyra fell in love with was her vibrant spirit and, frankly, just how much fun Kassandra was to be around. Always ready with a quip or smart comment and even if she wasn't and got flustered, she made it look so breathtaking. Seeing Kassandra's playfulness reminded her of just why this woman had her whole heart and why she never wanted it back. All of life's atrocities were bearable if she could only see Kassandra's smile and what she wouldn't give to hear her laugh... it was the sweetest sound known to man.

Kyra was so utterly in love with this pig headed fool and she wouldn't have it any other way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only about a third of this has been edited as it was either make you wait another whole day (as I'm so tired) or get it out to you now. I chose the latter.
> 
> Sorry for making you all wait again, but hopefully the length makes up for it!


	14. The Middle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A happy birthday to me is a happy birthday to you! In honor of me turning the big 3-0 today, I wanted to make sure I had this little slice of joy all done so you all could enjoy it (and I've posted it with 15 minutes to spare). 
> 
> Writing this story makes me happier beyond belief and what better day to do what I want then when it is socially acceptable for me to stow away for a bit lol. This update will conclude Kyra's POV and (as an added bonus) I've added a bit more fluff to it just because I could. 
> 
> There may be a gap from 14 to 15 in terms of updates as I have another WIP that I _really_ need to get to (as it has been over 2 months), but don't fret, it won't be too long!
> 
> Hope you all enjoy 🧡.
> 
> Zedd - The Middle  
> https://youtu.be/xQzS3JnZQZM

Counting blessings was something Kyra had never done, but after last night, it was something she would consider. Here they were, she and Kassandra, existing in a harmony that had been lost for ages. There were no grand gestures, no bold proclamations, just the two of them coexisting peacefully as they enjoyed one another's company. The laughs went on all night and Kyra found it hard to let herself rest because it meant time away from this feeling that nestled itself within her heart. It was warm and ever filling, just the opposite of how it used to be and she found she didn't ever want to go back to how it was. This may just be a moment of calm, but Kyra was going to take full advantage of it.

It was possible that, come morning, the illusion drops and they resort back to the ill fated pretenses they were under. That everything would once again take a turn for the worse and she would be stuck at the bottom of an ever sinking hole. It wasn't necessarily an idea she wanted to entertain, but given their history, she would rather lower her expectations and be surprised than be overconfident and feel the drop to reality. She hated feeling so negative before anything even happened, but it was a learned behavior and it was one that she couldn't shake off so easily. Ever the pessimist, Kyra knew life's harsh lessons first hand and she was tired of being tossed around. 

On the other hand, she could be completely wrong (and she hoped she was) and everything between the two of them would continue to heal. Kassandra would take mind of her presence and stop treating her like an outcast and maybe, just maybe, they could spend some time together. Kyra didn't think this was a difficult ask, but with how everything was after their excursion, it probably wouldn't be so easy to have that time unattended. There would be no way they'd be left unsupervised now and every move they made would be under heavy scrutiny. It would test their limits (and their patience), but the important part was that they communicate about it and not keep it bottled within. Still, Kyra had to try to have faith in them and believe in their potential or else she would be dooming them to failure and that is not at all what she wanted.

Kyra eventually found herself succumbing to sleep with an overactive mind and a heart eager for repairs.

Incessant shuffling caused Kyra to stir awake hours before she should have. She had half a mind to say something until she remembered who was next to her and changed her tune. It had been far too long since they had slept side by side so Kyra had forgotten about Kassandra's restlessness. Even in sleep, Kassandra couldn't seem to calm down and Kyra was left to figure out what to do. She could wake her up, but there was still a chance of it happening again when she fell back asleep. She could move herself away from Kassandra, thus removing herself from the problem, but then she'd feel guilty for just leaving her when she was obviously struggling. There had only been one way before that worked for them, but Kyra wasn't sure if it was crossing a line.

The most effective method was touch, Kyra's touch specifically, and she would either hold (or more commonly be held by) Kassandra to soothe her. It worked almost every time, but the issue she faced now was that they really hadn't defined any boundaries. They both had just kind of been existing in each others spaces and neither of them had taken the time to define what was acceptable and what wasn't. Kyra didn't want to overstep this as they were fragile enough as it was, but she also didn't want to wait idly by when she knew she could help. It was a bit of a conundrum, but if she wanted to get any sleep with some peace of mind, something had to give. Weighing the pros and cons, Kyra makes up her mind.

There was only a small gap between them now (having unintentionally moved closer together during the night) so scooting just a _bit_ closer wouldn't be such a big deal. The challenge would come from the next step as Kyra remembers just what happens when Kassandra gets startled. If she moved nice and slow, she should be able to touch her without risking bodily harm. The only issue with that was that Kassandra wouldn't settle for long enough. Her arm was ungracefully tossed above her head as she slept on her back, shifting often which made Kyra a bit weary considering Kassandra's injuries. It wouldn't be enough to stop her from trying to calm her, but it made her put a lot more thought into her approach.

Kyra rolls from facing her left side onto her back and, with a few small adjustments, she could feel Kassandra waist with her own hip. Waiting a moment to see what happens, Kyra continues to roll to her right side only when she's sure the coast is clear. The ridiculousness of her antics weren't lost on her and she'd laugh at herself if she wasn't concerned with waking Kassandra. She was going through an awful lot of work for something that might not even be effective, but she had to put in a good faith effort. Tentatively extending her arm out, Kyra moves it until she's hovering right over Kassandra's stomach where she lowers herself to make the first bit of contact.

Kassandra does indeed react, shifting her legs a bit, but by the sound of her breathing, Kyra knows she's still asleep. Pushing further now, Kyra begins to roll some of her weight from her side onto Kassandra until both the upper half of her body and her leg is draped across her. The only thing left was to move her head, but that had the highest chance of jostling her for a variety of reasons. Her hair could tickle her, she could accidentally hit Kassandra in the jaw, or something ridiculous that she's sure to consider. She was putting _so_ much additional stress into this when she probably just could have cuddled up to her. Too late now though to change anything so, with a baited breath, Kyra lays her head on Kassandra's chest. Attempting to remain as still as possible, Kyra adjusts herself to make it more comfortable, but Kassandra didn't even seem to ba affected by her presence. 

Kassandra's arm moves from above her and haphazardly splays behind where Kyra was laying. Kyra can feel a very faint touch from the new spot when she exhales, sending goosebumps up her back by the sensation. It didn't take long until she felt a strong arm flop over her waist, an instant source of comfort to Kyra. Using the positive encouragement, she nestled further into Kassandra's chest, tucking her head under Kassandra's chin, adjusting her arm to just below the sling that still cradled the healing limb. She could hear the upticked rhythmic beating of Kassandra's heart begin to calm and she could feel her labored breathing transition into something slower, smoother. Kyra had bore witness to something so small yet so profound.

In the present moment, Kyra knew without a doubt the affect she had on Kassandra. Even in sleep, Kassandra reacted to her and that spoke volumes. It told stories Kassandra wouldn't say aloud and it reaffirmed for Kyra that she was important to her on such an interpersonal level. She'd done this before, but the stakes were never as high as they were now and, honestly, she had never given it too much thought. All she knew was that it worked, she never delved further and asked _why_. There was always so much going on that she never could be too present in her own mind because of how focused on Kassandra she was, but now, in this moment of tranquility, she could spare some time.

How was it possible that they could cause one another so much pain, but, at the end of the day, be all they needed to heal and feel safe? It didn't make any sense, but Kyra knew most things in life wouldn't. Nothing about her and Kassandra made that much sense, but in a way, that's why it worked. They pushed one another to the limits, sometimes beyond, but they would always seem to reel each other back in. It was a consistent push and pull and before they went too far to one side, one of them would always end up evening it back out. Kassandra undoubtedly got on her nerves (and she knows it goes the same for Kassandra), but she never has truly wanted to walk away from what they have. It is dysfunctional, but it is theirs. As much as she had considered leaving, she never would again because Kassandra was where her home was. It didn't matter if they were in agreement or not, she knew that Kassandra was the path and she never desired to explore another. She was her anchor in a storm and Kyra didn't want it any other way.

With a satiated heart and mind, Kyra finds herself being lulled back to sleep in the embrace of the woman she loves more than life.

Kyra found when she woke up (several hours later) that they had somehow intertwined their limbs and were chest to chest. It didn't bother Kyra in the slightest, but she wasn't sure how Kassandra would react so it was best if she tried to separate herself. That only got so far until the numbness in her right arm got her attention and it meant that she was trapped. Her arm was completely underneath Kassandra and there would be no way of easily removing it and, by this point, Kassandra would be sure to wake at the movement. This left Kyra with the option to just ignore it and cuddle back up into her or pull it free and wake her.

There was no contest.

Kyra happily snug back into Kassandra's warmth and she was greeted with open arms (metaphorically speaking) and sleep took her over once more. Her dreams following were actually that and not just nightmares in a clever disguise. Most nights her dreams are of nothing at all, but most are usually filled with rather unsavory events. If she's lucky, she doesn't remember them long after she wakes, but most tend to stick with her in the back of her mind, reminding her of what could be if she just caved in. This, however, was nothing like that and it was rather enjoyable to have a reprieve in the form of a promising dream.

Her dream was of herself on the shore of Mykonos, the water lapping at her feet as she stared out onto the sea. The air around her was warm, but the breeze ruffled her hair _just_ right so that she didn't feel it much. She could hear some minor commotion in the background, but she didn't bother to look around until something touched her leg. As she looked down and to the side, she saw a child, a little girl who was the spitting image of Kassandra and she felt a familiar tug towards the girl. Kyra couldn't explain it, but it was like she was connected to her somehow. The little girl didn't speak and she didn't stay long, but Kyra just knew she was important somehow.

Following the little girl as she ran away, Kyra could hear her laughing as she weaved herself through the ever growing crowd of people. Kyra did her best to follow, but she lost her a few times, only to hear that giggle a completely different direction. She was so focused on finding the girl that she didn't realize where she was running until her foot touched down into shallow water, her momentum almost launching her into a small canal when the girl took a sharp right turn. Skidding to a stop and bracing herself against a post, Kyra spins to come face to face in a place she hadn't stepped foot in for many, many years. The outside looked the same as it ever had, but there was just _something_ different this time around.

Kyra found herself staring at her old home, the one where she and her mater had lived until she was killed and Kyra was forced to flee. She had made a vow to never return, but the little girl paused at the entrance, motioning for her to come inside, before she went out of view. The hesitation Kyra felt when she took a step to follow was overwhelming, but the laughter echoing from the inside was enough to lower her defenses to see what was inside. Each step she took as she got closer became weighted with dread, but she knew she had to see what was beyond the walls. There was a thicker fabric hanging over the entrance that was soft to the touch, so she grabbed a fistful and pushed it aside, revealing the mystery of what lied beyond.

The interior of her old home was not the decaying mess she assumed it to be and, at a quick glance, it looked like an _actual_ home. From the furnishings to the decorations, it was clear that this place was well lived in, but she didn't know by who. Seeing this place in a way that wasn't mired by death was something she never could have imagined and it brought an unexpected tear to her eye. This thriving environment moved her deeply and she didn't know who lived here, but she wanted to thank them for giving it the life it deserved. Kyra had many regrets and leaving this place to rot had been one of them, but she was just terrified of the pain that reliving it would cause. Feeling a tug on her hand, Kyra snaps out of it and focuses back on the girl.

She had been playing with some figurines from the looks of it, figurines that looked oddly familiar. The girl looks up to Kyra and offers out her hand and, without a second thought, Kyra takes it and follows her to a small table. The girl hands her two of the figurines and then proceeds to pick up two more so they have a total of four between them. Kyra noticed she'd been given the larger of the two (both appearing to be women) and the girl has two smaller ones, but she can't get a good enough look to see any detail. The figurines were well done, far better than she was capable of doing, filled with depth that she'd never been able to pull off.

The girl doesn't keep still, running up the stairs to the second level, and Kyra can hear her begin to giggle once more. This time, her voice isn't the only one and she hears a second one that's deeper in its pitch. As much as she wants to follow, she still is acutely aware that she's trespassing. She wouldn't lie, she was concerned that someone would walk in on (or spot) her and she would have no sane reason for why she's here. "Oh, excuse me, I just saw a little girl who looked like someone I know so I followed her home." It just _sounded_ so terrible, but she couldn't resist the urge to follow. 

Quietly taking each step, Kyra works her way up to the top. The first thing she spots is a dresser and a nice, long table peppered with a blend of gear and children's toys. As she gets higher, Kyra can see two separate beds, one being much smaller than the other. Kyra imagines the small one is for the girl, but the big one (that she overlooked initially) was actually occupied. 

"Fuck." Kyra says startled, not expecting the bed to be occupied. This would surely mean that she would be caught red handed, but as the person on the bed rolled around, Kyra almost dropped the figurines.

There before her was Kassandra cradling a baby to her chest, the little girl now behind her playing with the baby, making all sorts of faces. Kassandra laughs until she notices Kyra just staring there like a fool and a large smile takes over.

"Look who's home!" Kassandra exclaims, speaking to the kids in such an excited tone.

Sitting upright to stand, Kassandra passes the baby for the girl to hold and makes her way to Kyra. "I'm so happy to see you, love." Kassandra greets her with a kiss.

"Hi." Was all Kyra could get out, but it didn't seem to matter to Kassandra.

"We've all missed you." Kassandra chimes in as she guides her to the bed to sit. "Especially this little guy here."

Kassandra takes the baby boy from the girl and holds him out for her to take. "He won't bite yet, I promise. Well, he might try, but he gets that from you." Kassandra teases with a wink.

Kyra, her hands starting to tremble, takes the outstretched baby and sits down on the bed. She can feel Kassandra scoot up until she's perfectly molded behind her with the little girl plastered to the side of the both of them. This was _her_ family, the one she'd dreamt of before. _This_ is why it all felt so familiar, she'd met them all in another time, in another dream. It was then that Kyra knew this couldn't be real, but it didn't stop her from enjoying it. She knew that she would wake up sooner or later and she accepted that, but for the first time, she actually hoped that she'd remember this. Closing her eyes to take in the moment, she wakes.

"Kyra, psst." Kyra hears as she begins to wake up. "I need you to move off me."

"Hrmph." Kyra grunts as she tries to ignore the voice calling out to her, nestling further into the warmth Kassandra was radiating.

"Kyra, I need you to move off me please. You've got me stuck and I don't know how much longer I can wait."

Kyra doesn't move much until she feels a strong poke in her side.

"I can't move you, Kyra. You're on my only arm I can use."

Oh. Ohhhhhh.

Everything registers back with her and Kyra remembers just where she is and what she's doing. She had every intention of not being intertwined when Kassandra woke, but she over indulged and now she had been caught red handed. Kyra all but springs off Kassandra, putting some distance between them. Kassandra doesn't bother to comment on their prior position, her mind clearly elsewhere, as she takes off to go outside, leaving Kyra to regroup.

"Maybe you didn't ruin it? You can just explain what happened." Kyra gives herself a pep talk, determined that Kassandra would find issue with their sleeping arrangement. 

Kyra frets in her mind until Kassandra comes back in, but to Kyra's surprise, Kassandra never mentions it. She, instead, took her spot back and laid back down, closing her eyes in an attempt to go back to sleep. Kyra (not wanting to be the odd one out) decides to lay back down as well, only this time on her own side, leaving enough of a gap. She really wasn't tired anymore, but she did enjoy the lazy mornings next to Kassandra. They didn't do them often, but she always loved being pulled back as she tried to rouse. It would lead to laughter and... other more desirable things, but mostly, it just was a way for them both to have time to relax and just be with one another. Kyra knew this wasn't the same thing, but it was close and they were relaxing together, it just was more on separate terms. 

Kyra can tell Kassandra's falling back asleep and she wonders if she should just stay here or if she should get up and give her some space. She didn't want to tip the balance and overstay her welcome in Kassandra's space, but she really didn't want to go out and socialize with these people. Everything was a secret with them and she didn't have the patience to try to deal with that. She really, _really_ wanted to leave this place and, at this point, she'd take just about anywhere else. Somewhere far away from Daphnae and the Daughters, somewhere preferably that Kassandra _didn't_ have a scorned lover. Although, on second thought, that'd limit her only to the sea and Kassandra would've somehow been with a siren or two with her luck. 

"You're thinking too loud." Kassandra grumbles as she rolls from her back to her side, facing Kyra. "It is too early for you to do this."

Had she been thinking out loud? Oh no. What if she did?! Kyra could've sworn she only was thinking this stuff.

The panic was apparently evident enough for Kassandra to notice as she offered a follow up. "I could feel you fidgeting and you only do that when you're in deep thought."

 _"Oh thank the gods."_ Kyra allows herself a silent reprieve before she turns her attention towards Kassandra. 

"I guess I was, I'm sorry. I didn't even notice I did it."

"Whatever the problem is, it cannot be solved right now." Kassandra gives a partial shrug, still favoring her injured arm. "No sense in worrying for what cannot be changed."

"That's easy for you to say." Kyra scoffs. "You don't ever worry about anything."

"You think I don't?" Kassandra props herself up a bit better. "I worry all the time, but I also know that there are things outside of my control. If I let everything that concerned me hold me down, I would never stand back up. Why weigh myself with burdens that aren't mine to carry?"

Kassandra was right in a sense. There _were_ things outside her control, but all her worries now were justified in some sense or another. She knows Kassandra is just trying to help, but it is hard to seek advice from the one person it pertains to. No matter what she thought, it all tied itself to Kassandra in one fashion or another and that made it hard for her to be open about it. Constantly having to second guess herself was frustrating and it isn't something Kassandra would understand right now. Still, Kyra understood the gesture and accepted it as Kassandra had meant it.

"I appreciate the sentiment, thank you." Kyra offers her a small smile and is pleased to get one in response before Kassandra shifts back to her previous position. Kyra wouldn't be able to just shut her mind off, but she could give it a try.

Kyra takes the movement and the silence as a definitive end to their conversation so she too adjusts herself back to how she was before. Now that she was made aware of her fidgeting, she was attuned to her movements to prevent them from happening again. She caught herself a few times slipping so she just opted to move her hands underneath her, effectively sitting on them and solving the problem.

She was unable to go back to sleep and neither was Kassandra from the sounds of it. Kyra did her best to not listen, but she could hear Kassandra huff from time to time. It sounded like she was agitated and it appeared that it was now her turn to be fidgety.

"Something bothering you?" Kyra asks, not bothering to sit up in case Kassandra shut the conversation down.

"Yeah, actually." Kassandra admits, surprising Kyra with the revelation. "This sling wasn't tied very tight and came loose while I was sleeping so my arm is sore."

"Why didn't you say something? I would have fixed it for you."

"I didn't want to bother you with it. You shouldn't have to deal with my issue."

Kyra just silently shakes her head at the nonsense, biting her tongue at how hypocritical Kassandra was beginning to sound like. Instead, Kyra just sits herself up and moves to straddle Kassandra's legs.

"Sit up." Kyra requests, holding out a hand for Kassandra to take.

Kassandra takes it and allows herself to be tugged close, much closer than they needed to be for this, but Kyra wasn't complaining. She doesn't even make any suggestive remarks (even though she is dying to) and just does what she set out to do. Taking great care to not disturb Kassandra more than necessary, she successfully wraps the sling back around her nice and tight.

"How does this feel?" Kyra checks in, unsure if she made it too tight or not.

"Uh-" Kassandra clears her throat, "-good, very good. Thank you."

"Next time, don't let it get this bad before you say something." Kyra pokes into Kassandra's chest lightly, giving her a playful look. "We can't have Greece's savior crippled by a muscle cramp."

Kassandra laughs heartily, filling the room. "When did you get so funny? Who knew you'd be full of jokes."

Kyra mocks offense as she pushes her finger harder into Kassandra's chest, forcing her to lay on her back. "I'll have you know that I've always been hilarious, you've just never noticed."

"I haven't?" Kassandra raises her brows, clearly disbelieving Kyra's comment. "You must be exhausted because you're delirious. There is no way I would have missed such an enchanting trait."

"I don't know how to have you cope with this utterly true fact so I'll just have to leave you to your disbelief in peace." Kyra says in parting as she removes herself from Kassandra's lap. 

As much as she wanted to stay, it wasn't the time. They had much they needed to discuss before anything physical happened between them because Kyra would be damned if they solved all their problems through sex. It never fixed anything and, while it was amazing, it wasn't a way to build a healthy relationship. They needed to use more than just their bodies to communicate and she was going to hold to that. 

The conversation died down soon after, but the silence between them wasn't awkward in the slightest. It was just them existing within one another and that itself was quite the reward. They would make passing comments here and there as they laid beside one another, but it never amounted to anything. Still, it was something she couldn't have imagined happening and it was a beautiful way to start her day.

Both she and Kassandra were eventually roused up out of bed and put to work within moments of the intrusion. Most of the work planned for Kyra was something she despised, the worst being her orders to clean up after the Daughters animals. Daphnae had _specifically_ requested her to do so, a move that was no doubt to put her back in her place after their heated exchange. This was a power move if she'd ever seen one, but she did it and she did it without protest. She would let Daphnae think she had the upper hand, but Kyra knew better than that. She would bide her time until she had something more substantial to stand on and then, and only then, would she go for the kill. Going against Daphnae was ill advised, but that didn't mean it couldn't be done. She wouldn't just roll over if the opportunity presented itself, but she would not create something out of nothing.

Daphnae lingered around her for spurts throughout the day, most likely basking in her "punishment" for speaking out against her. Kyra did her best to ignore her, but Daphnae didn't shy away from making comments about her precarious position. She had overheard Daphnae speaking with a few other members of the Daughters about Kyra specifically and how she "was a nuisance to deal with." There was more than just that said, but for some reason, that particular phrasing stung. She knew she was the focal point of each glance, she felt each pair of eyes judging her for god knows what. The only face she found any kindness in was when she looked to Kassandra.

Kyra only got passing glances and she couldn't help but worry that Kassandra was overdoing it given her task. Someone in her condition shouldn't be doing hard labor like that, but Kassandra wouldn't speak up against it and neither would she. Whenever she got close enough, she'd just watch Kassandra and be mesmerized by how she could move so well given her restrictions. Mostly though she just wanted to "inspect" Kassandra's form. Kyra couldn't (and wouldn't) deny just how _good_ Kassandra looked, her muscles tensing under the strain, the sweat glistening off her olive skin in a shimmer. It was a vision, _she_ was a vision, and Kyra was anything but blind. She may not be able to properly appreciate her body the way it should be, but that didn't mean she couldn't enjoy the view.

She had been caught unabashedly staring a few times, but Kassandra only ever smiled at the attention. Whenever their eyes met, there was something more between them lingering just beneath the surface. Gone were the cold glances and cold shoulders (something Kyra was grateful for), replaced by something far greater, looks of welcoming and warmth. The energy between them had shifted practically overnight and it was almost like they were back to normal. This was obviously not the case, but it gave her a deep sense of nostalgia for what was and what she had before. It helped her get through the menial tasks she was assigned and, before she knew it, the sun had almost set for the night and she was free to go.

Well, _almost_ free.

Kyra sat beside Kassandra at the fire, both having just finished up their meals for the night. Kyra's muscles ached and she could only imagine how much worse Kassandra's had to be. Giving her shoulders a roll to break the tension, Kyra glances over her shoulder to see a member of the Daughters approaching. The woman relays a message that Daphnae wishes to speak with them, both of them. After sharing a nervous glance with one another, they both rise to follow, stopping only once they reach her hut. Their escort leaves immediately after Daphnae dismisses her, leading them both deeper into her space.

Kyra had never been in here before, but she can tell Daphnae is a woman of good taste. She appreciated the decor and most everything in the room had a practical purpose. The weapons, the armor, it all was necessary and it was clear that Daphnae took great care of her belongings. She wondered how well the two of them may have gotten along if it wasn't for the fact that they both vehemently loved Kassandra. 

"Do you know why you're both here right now?" Daphnae breaks the silence, looking between the both of them for an answer.

Truth be told, Kyra had no idea what this could be about. It could have to do with the ruins, the fight, or something else entirely, she just didn't know. It would be best to not share anything and just let Daphnae answer her own question. Kyra was well aware that she had some secrets and she wasn't about to spill them under the basis of assumptions.

"Here as in the fire or here as in the village?" Kassandra offers up, clearly not getting the memo of Kyra's approach.

"Both." Daphnae responds, offering no further explanation.

"No and definitely not." Kyra speaks up. "This is all quite hard to take in so I'd think it was safe to say that I've got no idea about anything at this point."

It wasn't a complete lie as she _didn't_ know what (of the many) strikes against them that Daphnae was referencing.

"I'm with Kyra on this, except for the fact that I know why I'm at least here." Kassandra looks to her like it was an apology, making Kyra contemplate what she was missing here. "Did you have something you wanted to talk about?"

"In fact I did." Daphnae looks between the both of them before her eyes settle on Kyra. "Kyra, how well versed are you in archery?"

Archery? This was unexpected. Her prowess with a bow was not even within the realm of topics she thought they would be discussing. She didn't want to oversell herself, but she also knew she had talent. She was deadly accurate with her shots, but she had never had the opportunity to share her marksmanship with anyone like Daphnae before. Better yet, what _kind_ of skills was she referring to? Hunting? Battlefield? She was competent in both, but her answer would change depending on where this conversation was headed.

"Like hunting or just overall use?"

"Both."

"I can handle myself when it is called for if that's what you're looking for." Kyra _knows_ better. She knows she should just keep her comments to herself, but she doesn't like where this sounds like its headed. "Why? Are you sending me away finally?"

"What?" Kassandra chimes in, confused by her comment. "Why would you think that?"

"I don't know, why don't you ask Daphnae here?" Kyra's eyes as cold as ice as they bore into Daphnae's. "She's the one in charge here and I'm nothing more than a nuisance it seems."

"Nuisance? What even is going on right now?" Kassandra looks between the two of them, completely unaware of the disdain that the two of them shared. "Why don't we just take a step back for a second? I'm sure there's a way for this to be rational."

Oh _hell_ no.

"Now is when you're choosing to talk things out?" Kyra places her hands on her hips in aggravation. "Not when you or I need to do this, but when Daphnae is involved? Why am I not surprised?"

"Kyra, that's not at all what this is about. I don't even know what the problem is for starters! I just want us all to take a moment so we can talk this out. I'm sure whatever the issue is doesn't need to resort to anyone getting kicked out."

If she only knew.

"Is your tantrum over?" Daphnae comments directly to Kyra, her face unamused. "Or can I continue what I'm trying to say? Because it isn't like I have other things to do so please, by all means, take your time."

"Why you-!" Kyra moves to take a step forward, but Kassandra hops in between them to act as a buffer.

"Kyra, just listen to what she has to say, yeah?"

All she ever did was listen! Her ears could bleed from how much she's had to just "hear" from this woman. Yet another moment where she had to be the one to fold first to keep the peace. This was getting ridiculous.

Her glare was deadly, but Kassandra made no move to allow her access to the source of her torment. It was clear Kassandra wasn't going to go anywhere until she cooled off so Kyra takes a step back, diffusing the intensity.

Daphnae clears her throat, her voice losing its previous bite. "I ask for your skills because you're no longer injured so it is time to begin your training. We have warriors here, all deadly with the right range and it is time you rise to that level."

"What makes you think I already can't handle myself?" Kyra answers defensively, her posture sturdy as her arms cross in front of her.

"From what Kassandra's told me, you're a rebel with no formal training. It doesn't seem like a hard conclusion to jump to."

"You don't need formal training to be deadly."

"No, but you need it if you don't want to end up dead." Daphnae responds quickly. "Your prey won't always be animals and the kinds of people you'll meet won't hesitate to kill you. You need to know what's around you at all times."

"You don't think I don't know this? I've had to live in a cave surrounded by people and I could tell you who was walking just by the sound of their footsteps. I'm not an amateur."

"We'll just have to see about that." Daphnae says as she moves to snuff out the small fire beside her. "I've arranged for a test of your skills to be completed tomorrow along with Kassandra so I know where to start you off. Go. Get some sleep as you'll be put through the paces at dawn."

Kyra didn't wait around any longer than necessary because as soon as Daphnae extinguished the fire, she took off back for their hut. She was not about to be in Daphnae's company any longer than necessary and she needed to get some distance between them or she would end up doing something she regretted. Her pent up energy turned into incessant pacing back and forth across the dirt floor, leaving a small trail from where her heels had scuffed. 

Kassandra had ended up following her back and just watched as she paced. After the tenth or so lap across, Kassandra speaks up.

'So archery sounds like a good time. I've bet you've missed it."

"I suppose."

"Hey, at least it isn't a patrol."

"Yup."

Her answers remained short and sweet, fearing she might speak something she regretted if she didn't. 

"Look, Kyra, I know you're angry about whatever that was, but I promise you that she won't send you away if that's what you're worried about."

"That's not-," Kyra pinches the bridge of her nose in frustration, "that isn't what I'm worried about."

"Well? What is it then? Did Daphnae say something to you?"

Kyra halts her pacing and she spots the moment that realization passes over Kassandra's face.

"She did, didn't she?" 

There was an anger to Kassandra's tone, unlike what it was just moments ago. It was like the wave of denial had finally passed and now Kassandra was finally seeing Daphnae for more of her true colors, not just the one's she wanted to see. Daphnae had let the illusion of power go to her head and maybe, just maybe, this was not the Daphnae that Kassandra had known, had loved. All that could be said for certain was that whoever Kassandra had known before was damn sure not the woman before them now.

While it was nice to have Kassandra's eyes more open, it was still Kyra's battle to fight. She couldn't hide behind Kassandra and allow her to do her dirty work. No, this was something she had to do for herself. Alone.

"Please don't." Kyra pleads. "This is not something you get to fix. I have to do it myself."

"But-"

"No, Kassandra." Kyra cuts her off, dropping the proverbial hammer on the conversation. "Back off it, please. I need to fight my own battles." 

"I can help! She and I have history, it will be easier for me to talk to her."

History would not salvage this, nothing would. The only _possible_ way any remote goodness could come from this was if Kassandra gave a clear statement on where she stood, but that was as likely to happen as Kyra was to begin shooting flames from the palms of her hand. 

Both highly improbable. 

It seems Kassandra still won't speak ill against Daphnae, even when faced with evidence to the contrary. History was the only reason they were even still here in this god forsaken mess and it was times like this that reminded her of just that. "You don't have to remind me. That's all anyone can bother to talk about, that and how great Daphnae is."

"You really don't like her, do you?"

"What gave it away?" Kyra responds with a heavy dose of sarcasm. "Was it our titillating banter or was it our shared fucking of you?"

"I hate this." Kassandra huffs out, putting her hands on her hip. "Just when it starts to look good, it all goes to shit."

"I'm not thrilled about this situation either."

"I don't mean that, I mean us."

"Us?" Kyra repeats again to help her register that Kassandra had, indeed, been the one to begin this conversation.

This had taken an unexpected turn.

"I don’t even know why we keep fighting or what we're even fighting about. It just seems like we do it because it is easier, you know?" Kassandra looks to her for affirmation, but doesn't wait for her to acknowledge any of it. "I just feel like you and I are on opposite sides of a door that we're both pushing on. We're not even trying to figure out _why_ it isn't moving, just that we can't make it go so we push harder in hopes that it fixes itself. But we're never going to open it that way and I'm afraid of what will happen to us if we can't stop."

It wasn't the best of metaphors, but Kyra understood the implication behind it. Truth of the matter was that Kassandra _did_ have a point to what she was saying. They were almost always at odds because they worked against each other, not with. None of it was intentional, but it doesn't change the fact that it happened anyway. This revelation of sorts meant that they were both now aware of what was going on and now maybe they could take the steps to actively work on it.

"What do you think we should do? We both know it's been the problem, we probably always have, but we've still let ourselves get here. What can we possibly do?"

"That's where I'm lost." Kassandra's head drops in defeat. "I don't know how to fix this."

"Is it-," Kyra stutters, the words failing her as she tries to ask one of the most difficult questions of her life, "is it something you want to fix?"

This was the moment where it all could come crashing down. This was where Kyra would lay it all out for Kassandra in the hopes that she still felt the same way too. It was a long overdue conversation to begin with, but neither of them knew how to bring it up. It wasn't like this was something they could casually sprinkle in conversationally, it took some serious soul searching to get to this point. Was it even going to be worth it in the end? When the dust settles, would they be able to choose one another above all else?

"I mean," Kyra clarifies, "is it worth it to keep trying at something we can't seem to get right? Just look at us, look what we've both become... I don't even recognize who I am. How can I possibly expect something from you when I'm not even sure what I stand for anymore? How can I expect you to give me what I need when I don't even know?"

"You're not the only one who's changed." Kassandra interjects. "I've become such an angry person and I'm constantly living with the fact that the expectations of me are so high, maybe higher than I could ever reach. I doubt myself, Kyra. _Me_! I've never doubted anything and now I can't seem to stop. I'm doing everything wrong, no matter how much I try. The one thing I wanted more than anything... the _one_ thing I finally found for myself that makes me happy is in shambles."

Kyra had no idea Kassandra was struggling so much. She felt ashamed that she never noticed, but Kassandra hid it well. Nobody would be any wiser that Kassandra was suffering because she didn't allow anyone close enough to see the cracks in her foundation. The weight would build, widening the gaps until they got past the point of repair, but Kassandra would still wear a brave face. 

"You're not doing _everything_ wrong." Kyra says to offer her comfort. "We all make mistakes, some are just worse than others."

"You don't get it!" Kassandra tosses her hands towards the sky and takes a few steps away. "I do the wrong thing at the wrong time, say the wrong thing and I can feel the gap growing larger between us each time I do. Kyra, for gods sake, we've spent more time hating one another than we have loving each other! Every time you look at me in disdain, I just die inside and every time you withdrew from me, I felt it like someone was stabbing me with a knife."

"You don't think I understand this?!" Kyra responds in a heartbeat, advancing forward until she's in Kassandra's face. "You don't think I haven't felt horrible about how you've avoided me? Or how I could feel your discomfort whenever I tried to be near you? Because I have! Do you know how much it hurts me to know you'll confide in Daphnae, but not with me? That all I've ever done is _begged_ for you to be honest with me and you're off doing it in the arms of your ex?"

"What about Eliana? Hmm?" Kassandra defensively snaps. "You've told her an awful lot more than you've shared with me!"

What in the _fuck_ does Eliana have to do with this? Eliana was the only one being a decent human being towards her and Kassandra is upset about that?! How dare she!

"It's because I had no choice!" Kyra had intended for this to be a forceful statement, but her emotions swelled within her and the tears broke through without any resistance. All of her repressed sadness and anguish rose to the surface and Kyra had no choice but to confront it. "From the moment you've found me, you've left me behind!"

"Kyra-."

Kassandra's hand reaches out towards her, but the last thing she wanted right now was comfort.

"No! Don't. You need to hear this because I've been holding it in and I can't anymore. You do this whenever I try to talk about something deeper and it is like you're trying to talk me out of it. I can't just pretend I don't have feelings."

"That's not what I'm trying to do, I promise. I just cannot stand to see you like this and I just want to help."

"Help me by just listening. Not just _hearing_ me, but actually listening to what I have to say because I don't think you ever do."

Kassandra seems to be taken back by her comments, but they both knew they were true. Kyra was also guilty of not truly listening on occasion and it would be something she would work on, but now wasn't about her. This was about tackling a much larger issue she had with Kassandra, one that she couldn't postpone anymore for fear of the consequences. This was her opportunity to be brutally honest and she couldn't afford to hold back.

"Here I was, alone and _terrified_ , thinking you for dead... only for you to show up unannounced and leaving with Daphnae almost immediately after. I didn't know you two had history and I understood why you may have had to go, but you spent more and more time with her and then I found out why."

The corner of Kyra's upper lip gives a small twitch as she fights away the dormant anger waiting to strike. She shakes her head to try to dispel it, but some traces made their way through. "I had to find out through gossip over you telling me just what in the fuck was going on! I was left, alone, while you and Daphnae went to hideaway and share your love confessions and-"

"Love confessions?!" Kassandra interrupts with a bit of a recoil. "That never happened!"

"I heard you, I heard her!" Kyra fights back another sob as the tears break free, steadily streaming down her face. "I was underneath you in the cave. I didn't know where you went and I needed space so I ran to a cave so I could have a moment to think when I overheard her telling you that her heart was all yours. So not only was I scared, but now the _only_ person I could rely on had betrayed me."

Kyra watched as a look of guilt graced Kassandra's features, having been caught red handed. There was no point in denying the truth, Kyra knew and to pretend otherwise would just be insulting at this point.

"Not to mention the fact that you freaked out on me and gave me the silent treatment when I was sharing something so personal with you." Kyra takes a few calming breaths to work herself down from the high she's spent far too long at. "You're all I have, Kassandra. I don't know these people, I don't know these lands, I don't _do_ this. All I've ever had was you and I've lost that too, so now what? What am I supposed to do now?"

Kyra felt so exposed, so vulnerable. By freeing herself of this confession, she had not only lifted a weight from her shoulders, but she had taken another step towards becoming the woman she used to know. Kyra didn't hide when life got challenging, she adapted and faced it head on, but whenever Kassandra was involved, she lost all of this. She got scared, terrified even, of the unknown and what was to come. Everything felt so much more intense because there was something much larger at stake.

She hadn't intended on breaking down like this (she never does), but she's been far more emotional lately so it shouldn't have been too shocking that she couldn't keep it together. Nothing was really making her feel better anyway, not even this as, sure, she's shared her grievance, but Kassandra was still only just standing there, staring at her. But before she knew it, Kassandra had rushed up and embraced her as tightly as she possibly could. At first, the sudden movement caused her to stiffen until she registered the hug, then and only then did she melt into Kassandra's touch, unleashing every tear drop she'd ever saved.

The embrace was everything she didn't know she needed. It felt like a permission to let go and an assurance that someone would be there at the end to help her pick up the pieces. It was all she had wanted in the first place and only now did she understand what that kind of support felt like. That Kassandra _finally_ was understanding her and was trying to make an active effort to change. It allowed Kyra to feel safe for the first time in a long time, it made her feel like she was home. That said, Kyra couldn't allow this gesture to solve their problems because Kassandra still had yet to say anything about how she felt here. Kyra couldn't be the only one opening up now or they'd be right back at square one.

"I just don't know why you can't seem to tell me what's bothering you or how you feel. I..." 

"I am afraid of your judgment." Kassandra interrupts her. "You're one of the only people who's words I value and I'm afraid that you won't like what I have to say and everything will break and I don't want to lose you."

"I may not always like what you have to say, but that doesn't mean I'm just going to stop caring about you. It doesn't work like that. I want to be someone you can rely on to have your back when it gets rough and I can't be that for you if you don't let me in."

Kyra was tired of the same old problems with the same non solutions. They both had issues admitting their faults, but right here and now, Kyra had set it all out. It was clear they had both been afraid of losing one another, but that they let it get in the way of _actual_ communication and made it worse. By keeping their pain to themselves, they had unintentionally made it so much worse.

"I'm so sorry." Kassandra whispers into her ear as she moves her hand up to stroke her hair. "I'm sorry for leaving you alone, I'm sorry for shutting you out, I'm sorry you've felt this for so long, and I'm sorry you lost faith in me enough that you couldn't tell me what was wrong. I have not been thinking of how this would be overwhelming for you and I lost sight of the fact that you _didn't_ have anyone else. I let you stay lost and alone in a strange land when I should have been the anchor holding you steady. I have failed you in so many ways."

Kassandra's head turns and Kyra feels a brief kiss placed upon her cheek. "You're the most important person to me and I've made you feel like anything but. I don't know if I deserve your forgiveness, but I ask for it anyway."

Kyra was becoming overwhelmed for a whole new reason now, but this time it was because her heart was hearing the words she's always needed to hear. That she was important to Kassandra and had etched a place in the misthios' heart like Kassandra had done to her.

"And as for Daphnae," Kassandra continues, "she is my past and there will always be a part of me that loves what we had, but I made my choice and she made hers. What you overheard was us admitting that to one another, not some secret love proclamation. We had a lot of past we never dealt with and that was necessary for me to do to get closure, but I should have told you about us. We were like an instant flame that burned too hot with nothing to sustain it. I was too invested in myself and she was too invested in her people and we failed miserably. We did have something between us and I won't lie and say it didn't come back when I saw her, but it wasn't the same feeling as I have with you. That, to me, told me that part of our life was buried and anything we did now would be as friends."

Kassandra pulls herself away just a little bit, allowing Kyra to look deep within her eyes and what she sees makes her heart skip a beat. 

" _You_ Kyra, you're my future. I don't want Daphnae, I want you."

The amount of love flowing from Kassandra was immense and all encompassing. They were the words she needed to hear so desperately. It puts to rest her doubts about where she stood and that was all the confirmation it took to make her feel more assured. It was an affirmation that would make a world of difference. 

Now it was time for _her_ to apologize and make amends for her own behavior. "I'm sorry too, it was wrong of me to just unload all of that on you at once. What I said... it was cruel and it wasn't fair to you. It wasn't your responsibility to make me feel better and you had to find a way to cope just as much as I did. I took your strength as a weakness for myself and I projected those insecurities onto you. You tried your best, but I couldn't see it through my own faults."

The two women stood together in harmony for probably the first time since this all began. They had revealed their truths and could still look at one another with love when the dust settled. This was a pivotal moment for their relationship and their future together and they both wished to face it side by side. It was encouraging and relieving, it allowed for Kyra to lower her guard. With the anxiety and nerves quelled, Kyra could feel exhaustion setting in. From her stress to her tears, it had been an emotional journey for one day.

As if sensing her shift, Kassandra cradles her face and gently strokes her cheek. "We've both been unkind and said hurtful things to one another. This conversation was necessary and I think it was productive enough for the both of us for the night. How about we just lay down and go to bed with the promise of resuming it when we wake tomorrow?"

"That would be nice." Kyra gives a small smile, grateful that they could continue this when she wasn't on the verge of falling asleep. "I am pretty tired."

"Do you want me to go so you can undress?" Kassandra asks, letting go of Kyra.

"You don't need to do that, you've seen it all before."

"But this isn't the same." Kassandra comments, causing Kyra to give a pause. "Before I knew where we stood, but after tonight, I have no idea what that makes us. I don't want to cross any further over the line than I have."

It was a bit foolish considering that they'd seen each other naked probably more times than clothed, but it _was_ very Kassandra to be so chivalrous. It wasn't like Kyra hadn't thought about what they were either, but she always figured there were more pressing issues at hand.

"I guess you're right, I've been thinking about that too. We've just always kind of just existed around one another as of late, but we've never talked it out. We've spoken more to our friends about "us" than we have about "us” to each other."

Kassandra's face lights up like Kyra had just told her the best news in the world. "I still think we should go to bed, but I think I've possibly realized a solution to our problem."

Morning? Kyra couldn't possibly wait that long to find out! Judging by Kassandra's reaction, it was something big and there's no way Kyra would be able to sleep if she was left wondering. "You can't expect me to wait until morning for that. Please, tell me."

"It is going to sound odd, like really odd, but just hear me out." Kassandra prefaces before going into her pitch. "I think the problem with us is that we don't know how to be around one each other when we're not, you know, sexual. You see it too, I know you do. Tell me you don't find us awkward when we're not having sex."

"I don't know..." Awkward wouldn't necessarily be what Kyra called it, more like cautiously confused. 

"Kyra, I almost cut off my fingers because you touched my thigh." Kassandra confesses and Kyra's eyes go wide.

"I thought I just startled you!"

"You did far more than that." Kassandra laughs, tracing the newest scar running along her fingers.

"You could have seriously been hurt!"

"But I wasn't, that badly anyway, but it just proves my point. You can't tell me there haven't been moments like that around me, maybe not as violent of a reaction, but something that shifted."

"I-, uh, I guess I have also been rather preoccupied with you being near me."

Kyra flashes back to only earlier in the day when she was meticulously "observing" Kassandra hard at work and blushes.

"Exactly!" Kassandra exclaims, spotting the blush and using it as affirmation. "We're just a walking disaster waiting to happen because we are missing something."

"What are we missing?"

"Friendship."

"Friendship?" Kyra asks confused. "This seems a bit late for that, don't you think?"

"But think about it!" Kassandra proclaims, taking Kyra's hand in her own. "We've never been friends before as we just jumped into this. Maybe what we need is to take a step back."

This was kind of the opposite direction of where she felt this was going between them. They had both stated their desire to be with one another so why would they walk away from that? It didn't make any sense.

"So you're saying you just want us to be friends?"

"For now anyway, until we get comfortable again with one another and then we can take it from there."

"Wow, Kassandra. This is, uh, a lot to take in."

That was an understatement. Here she was thinking they were going to give it another go, only to have Kassandra limit her to a friendship. She thought she understood all the signals, but could she have misread them? Was she just projecting her own wants onto what Kassandra said? Would it even matter what Kyra would've liked if Kassandra is resigned to see them as friends? It couldn't necessarily hurt to take that many steps back and try it all over from the beginning, but it was definitely unorthodox. 

"I just want things to work." Kassandra gives her hand a tentative squeeze. "I know we've been through a lot, but I don't want us to get to the point where we can't even be in the same room with one another without either fucking or arguing. It isn't healthy."

"You're really serious about this?"

Kyra had known the answer to this before she even posed the question, but she asked anyway. Kassandra wouldn't go through all this just to mess with her and if she was determined that she had a solution, she would stick to it. Hard.

"Yes."

It wasn't what she wanted, but Kyra knew this was something that meant a lot to Kassandra for them to try so she would make it important too. If Kassandra felt they needed to try this, she would indulge and be supportive. Kyra would be willing to do most anything to get Kassandra back so if this was the path, well, this was the path.

Giving Kassandra's hand a squeeze in return, she gives her the confirmation. "Alright then, let's give it a try."

"Yeah?" Kassandra asks in earnest, her excitement over Kyra's willingness was duly noted.

"You're right in a way and although I _thought_ we were actually friends, I do see your point. We kind of just jumped into bed with one another before we even knew who we were."

"War does not leave much time for complacency and we didn't exactly have a lot of time to work with."

Kyra knows _exactly_ what (and more specifically, who) Kassandra was referring to by this.  
"You can just say it, you know? I know Thaletas had everything to do with it."

"Wow, I didn't think I was that obvious."

"I know you better than you think I do."

"Do you now?" Kassandra asks with a raised brow. "Well, we'll have to see about that."

"It can't be a challenge if I'm the only one in it. There would be no point in my participation other than to show off."

"Participation is its own reward." 

That had to have been the _worst_ consolation prize in the history of ever. What malaka would only work for "participation?"

"Oh shut up, no it is not! Where did you hear that nonsense?"

"...Sokrates."

_Figures._

"I think that's best left back in Athens where they can live with their heads in the clouds in their luxurious homes."

"Jealous?"

"Pfft, hardly." Kyra waves her off as she goes to settle down in her bed roll, omitting changing as she couldn't be bothered with it now. "I don't need that in my life."

"No?" Kassandra follows her lead and they both settle so they're facing one another. "Since when do you turn down a chance to show off?"

"I'm not you." Kyra gracefully points out. "I don't need my daily dose of being a show off."

"I know you better than that," Kassandra retorts, "there's no _way_ you would pass up an opportunity to gloat if you could."

"Careful, _misthios_ ," Kyra says, dropping her voice from a playful banter to something a bit more seductive as she edges closer to where Kassandra was. She takes a finger and traces from the top of Kassandra's jaw to the bottom, resting at the tip of her chin, "those are fighting words."

A light pink blush colors Kassandra's cheeks and Kyra is acutely aware of where this would normally lead, but given their "friendship" stance now, she's not sure where it may go.

"Rule number one: none of that." Kassandra states as her eyes roam hungrily over Kyra's features, nudging her finger   
_just so_ to point out what she was referring to.

"None of what?" Kyra feigns innocence, continuing to drag her nail further down Kassandra's throat.

Kyra can just _feel_ Kassandra's energy beneath her fingertips and it makes her regret agreeing to such a limiting role.

"You know what."

Kyra's gaze grows heavier as she takes every detail of Kassandra to memory. Observing her like she was a painting of the highest quality, knowing she would always have the satisfaction of a private viewing if she so desired. Kyra knew that if she made a move now that Kassandra would not resist her and they would have a passionate night of love making ahead of them, but there would be consequences. It would lead them down the same road as before and there was a risk that it could end up costing her Kassandra and that wasn't a risk she was willing to take.

"Fine," Kyra relents a bit dramatically, flopping on her back to look upward, "but you can't do it either."

"Fair." Kassandra agrees easily, putting up no fuss. "Rule two: no cheating."

"How would we even cheat? It isn't like anyone else will know the answers."

"You'd be surprised," Kassandra comments as she settles down herself, "Daphnae was observant and she may know some stuff."

"Even though I know she knows you, I forget she _knows_ you, you know?"

"That's a lot of "knows." Kassandra laughs almost immediately in jest, earning her a well deserved flick from Kyra for being such a pain. 

"You're terrible." Kyra remarks as she turns to look at Kassandra, met warmly with a smile that makes her heart swoon.

"Only to you." Kassandra winks in a cheeky gesture, the playfulness back in full force.

"You literally are going to kill me with that." Kyra rolls her eyes, but she secretly loves and lives for these moments.

Propping herself up on her elbow, Kassandra grins wickedly at her. "With my witty banter or my dashing charm? Maybe both?"

"Wit and charm have no part in what I'd call it." Kyra attempts to keep a straight face, but fails pretty spectacularly.

"It won't kill you to admit that I'm funny."

"It just might."

"You're so stubborn."

"Wonder who I get that from?" Kyra returns the smirk, giving Kassandra a taste of her own medicine before she rolls back over.

With a smile still plastered to her face, Kyra settles back and let's out a small sigh of pleasure. She felt oddly content for everything that had just happened and even though there was still more to discuss, she knew that Kassandra was willing to put in the work too and maybe they would be able to get it right this time. The love was there and that's what was the most important part, the rest would follow in time and with Kassandra, she'd have all the time in the world.

She falls asleep with a sense of purpose enough to stave off any nightmares that threaten what she knows as truth.


	15. Never Be The Same

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello my lovelies 😊.
> 
> I am sorry for being away so long, but I just had to finish my other story and give it the send off it deserved. Why the rush you ask? Great question! It _just_ so happens that I am going to be starting something *new* very soon and it _may_ be for Dina/Eliie from TLOU Part 2 🙌🏼🙌🏼. Who am I kidding? It is 100% what's happening here so if they're a love of yours, keep a lookout for me soon 😎.
> 
> Getting to the good stuff here with this chapter, I just want to say that I went _totally_ off the rails with what I intended. Here I was trying to give some moments to our girls before the big event... and wouldn't you know, I was 6k deep into softness and fluff before I could blink. That means this chapter is lacking the archery challenge, but I know you'll forgive me for what I wrote instead.
> 
> Hope you all enjoy and I look forward to your comments! 
> 
> Camila Cabello - Never Be The Same  
> https://youtu.be/FITSPSA8gQs

The sounds of birds singing their morning tune echoes around Kyra as she sits atop of the cliffside, her legs dangling over the side. The glow of a new day was beginning to blossom and the colors of the sky proved its beauty was unmatched. From this height, she had a lovely view of the horizon and it was far enough away that it would remain unspoiled until she deemed it necessary to return. She had been too anxious to go back to sleep when she woke a few hours prior about what was to come, her mind just refused to quit. It was always an issue for her, but usually she could manage it better than she had been. Her mind wandered aimlessly when in the right company so she needed to take a step back to gather some clarity, so... she did what she always did. 

Isolated reflection had become a saving grace for her over the years and she's sure it's the reason she's not gone mad yet. Her best ideas came in solitude and it was where she felt the most at ease. Her usual escape would have been her altar to Artemis, but she didn't feel comfortable praying here. It was an odd feeling to feel so excluded when they worshipped the same deity, but she knew that playing with the gods was always tricky business. Here though, above it all, she could just focus, free of distractions, which seemed to be in abundance lately. It gave her peace of mind just knowing that she was free from observation, like a caged animal.

These women were vicious and vindictive and dug for any weakness they could exploit. The more Kyra got to know of them, the less she liked. How could those devoted to Artemis behave in such a dreadful manner? That they stood and judged her in Artemis' name was slanderous and the goddess, _her_ goddess, would never approve of such strong armed bullying. The Daughters may have started out pure and with good intent, but it is very clear to her that they've lost their way. They are not spreading the message they should and they're making a mockery of who Artemis is.

She obviously was not an expert (nor did she claim to be), but she just couldn't understand how someone could be so lost. Artemis had protected these women and Kyra has no doubt that they earned her favor, but it just didn't make sense. Their message is not of love, but of power and fear. They force all those that defy them into submission until they have no choice to relent. She can tell that some of these women do not want to be here, she's overheard as much. 

In the dark of night, Kyra had taken many walks and she just _maybe_ chose to stick near to a path with those gifted with loose lips. It amazed her how much dissent was within Daphnae's ranks, all revealed only in the cover of a false façade. Kyra heard of women who were taken and forced into this life to bolster their numbers, forming almost a small army. Women who had no faith in Artemis, but felt they had no choice but to comply or face shame for their families. It was a militia in disguise, but for what purpose was still lost on her. 

What need would _true_ devouts have for such recruiting? Shouldn't those who embrace Artemis be found and not forced? She thought so at least. Just _why_ was this all happening now? Were they afraid of the war? Of the destruction? Or, perhaps, was it something more sinister? Did they have an ulterior motive lingering beneath the surface?

Questions flood Kyra's mind so fast that she has a hard time keeping track. That's how it always seemed to play out though, with more questions than answers. It was so easy to ask, but the truth was always so difficult to find. It is unlikely she'd get honesty from asking so she would have to take matters into her own hand if she wanted results. She would cross the line she'd been tiptoeing since she's got here and there really would be no turning back. 

Her unease had only grown and her suspicion had amplified tremendously since she and Kassandra got confronted at the ruins. She didn't want to pursue it at the time because she was afraid of losing Kassandra if she went down that path. The more she thought about it though, the more willing she was to take that risk. Surely Kassandra had to feel this too, that something _just_ wasn't sitting right, Kyra couldn't be alone in this shroud of suspicion. It was all _far_ too convenient that everything got rearranged just as Kassandra got nosey...

They were up to something.

The only thing Kyra didn't know was how many people were involved. Daphnae was an obvious, but she still wanted to believe that Eliana had nothing to do with all of this. She had been _nothing_ but kind and to think that it was all for a show would be too heartbreaking. But, given her connection to Daphnae, the odds were good that she knew something. Perhaps she should find her later and try to talk with her. Maybe if they roam outside the walls, away from listening ears, that she could shed light on just what is going on. Of course there _also_ was the possibility that she was wrong and that they really weren't up to anything malicious. 

She would be made a right fool of and it would be justified. If their intentions were just misinterpreted, she would be shunned from the community and barred entrance from ever returning. That (if she were being honest) wasn't even a poor consequence as she has wanted to leave here for a while now, but it wouldn't be so easy. It would all come down to Kassandra and if she would be willing to follow her out or if she would pursue what she needed to here still. She was just _so_ sure that something with the cult happened back at the ruins that leaving may set her back immensely. Kyra would never desired to be the cause of Kassandra's lack of progress so she wouldn't even blame her for staying, even if her heart begged her to speak differently.

Whatever decision she ultimately made, there would be permanent consequences.

A rustling of leaves beside her grab her attention, but a quick side glance puts her at ease instantly.

"Why aren't you sleeping?" Kassandra inquires as she closes the distance between them, stopping just shy of where Kyra is sitting.

"I had too much on my mind." There was no need for her to hide it, Kassandra always could tell anyway.

"Why did you leave?"

"I didn't want to disturb you." Again, the truth.

"What bothers me more than you waking me is you feeling that you can't." Kassandra says as she takes a seat beside her. "If something is bothering you, I want to help. Your worries are not yours to share alone and I hate thinking you feel like that."

Kassandra had been many things to her as of late, but this new and improved caring she had been getting was something Kyra could get used to. Sure, Kassandra had always been sweet in her own way, but Kyra had noticed a distinct difference in just _how_ she directed it. Kassandra always wanted to solve problems, it was her job (more or less), but her words made Kyra believe that she really was making an effort. She was acknowledging the problem and instead of her usual "I'll fix it" bravado, she was saying "let me help you fix it." 

Kyra had wanted nothing more than for them to be a team, but Kassandra was even more reserved than she herself so it proved to be a hurdle. Far too many of their arguments stemmed from it and it was something she never thought could be resolved. It was just who she was as a person and Kyra was going to have to deal with it, but this... this gave her hope. It showed her that Kassandra was serious about what she spoke of and that she was working on herself as much as she was working on them. 

"I'm sorry, I just wanted you to get sleep. I didn't mean to make you worried like that."

"I sleep better knowing you're beside me." Kassandra shares openly. "Waking to find you missing so early is not ideal, especially when more than a few minutes pass by."

"I just needed to clear my mind and I find I do it best away from-"

"Me?" Kassandra interrupts, a worried tone sneaking its way through.

"Everyone." Kyra corrects. "I am not doing this to escape you, I hope you know."

"Promise?" Kassandra tilts her head to look at her, looking so adorably cute in its half sleeping state.

"Promise... well, at least this time anyway." Kyra chuckles. "Can't say you won't ever be the reason I retreat to a cliff."

"As long as you don't fall, I suppose I can live with that."

Kyra smiles at the answer and the two continue to just enjoy the unspoiled beginning to the day, content as can be.

Kyra could find herself out here with Kassandra all day, but the yawning sprouting from beside her told her that it wouldn't be today that they just escape from it all. It was clear that Kassandra would not go to bed until she did so she would make the concession to not keep her up longer than necessary.

"Would you like to go back to bed?" Kyra asks.

"No, I'm fiiiii-." Kassandra couldn't even finish her sentence without a yawn butting its head in, her body disproving the words she tries to speak.

"You don't sound 'fiiiii' to me." Kyra teases.

Kassandra only pouts and any further teasing dies on Kyra's tongue. She couldn't resist such a look and a sleepy Kassandra was just so freaking cute! It amazed her that such a deadly a woman could be so adorable.

Knowing she had to be the one to ask, Kyra puts her hand on top of Kassandra's. "I would like to go back to bed. Will you come with me?"

"Mhm." Kassandra hums out in content as she leans onto Kyra's shoulder. "You could use the sleep, you've got a big day ahead of you."

Kyra wasn't sure she would get anymore sleep, but Kassandra wasn't wrong. She _did_ have quite the day ahead of her and it would be better if she was rested. While she had intended to spend it alone, the thought of a cuddly Kassandra was far too good to pass up. Even if she didn't sleep, she would be beside the woman she loved and, maybe if she asked nice enough, Kassandra would be willing to hold her as she rested.

Kyra dares not climb down the same way she came up because, as dexterous as Kassandra is, she didn't want to tempt fate. Instead, they would enjoy a more scenic route and that suited her just fine. They didn't speak as they walked, but they didn't have to, just being here was good enough. It made her nostalgic for the time they spent together when they first met. They would be doing their own thing, but they were together and that always gave her comfort. Having this time with Kassandra was what she wanted most so no matter what the day tossed her direction, she'd have this to remember.

They arrive back in their hut before she knew it and Kassandra wasted no time laying back down onto her good side on the bed, letting out a hum of approval.

"And here I was thinking you weren't tired..." Kyra comments as she takes in the sight of Kassandra nestling in.

"I'm not." Kassandra protests weakly. "It missed me and I am trying to apologize for leaving it."

This. Was. _Adorable_. Gods, Kassandra was just being so cute! Which, truthfully, wasn't ever a problem, but now that they're "friends," it makes everything so different. She has to shut everything down inside that urges her to reach out... 

How she just wants to kiss her...

But, she _can't_ and it is miserable. It hasn't even been a day since she had agreed, but she is already regretting it. Resisting someone shouldn't be so hard, but when Kassandra _is_ like that, _looking_ like that... it is impossible.

"You're looking at me funny." Kassandra muffles out, her eye just barely cracking open.

 _Busted_.

"I was just thinking if I should leave and give the two of you some privacy is all."

 _Smooth save_.

"I don't mind an audience."

Kyra's eyes visibly go wider at the implication and her throat feels awfully dry all of a sudden. She knew Kassandra was adventurous, but they never really got into details (something she's regretting now). This certainly wouldn't be a conversation to help her relax, in fact, she's _very_ sure it would do the opposite.

"That's uh... good to know." Kyra responds, trying desperately to keep her voice from cracking. "Who knew you were so adventurous."

"There's a lot you don't know about me." Kassandra answers sleepily. "I am very mysterious and reclusive."

"Of course you are." Kyra agrees to just agree for the first part, the second, however, was spot on.

"There isn't anything you learn or see that I don't want you to."

"It is amazing you don't have the ability to see through walls because then you'd _really_ have everything."

Kassandra scoffs in a way that tells Kyra she was about to be educated. "Jokes on you because I _can_."

"You absolutely cannot." Kyra laughs off Kassandra's _ridiculous_ notion.

"Wanna bet?" Kassandra props herself on her elbow, her cheek resting in her palm.

"Hmm." Kyra ponders out loud. "What would be the stakes?"

Kassandra's brows tighten as she gives it serious thought. "How about if I win, you have to braid my hair whenever I ask."

"Hair braiding?" Kyra repeats a bit dumbfounded. "Wow, you're setting the bar incredibly high. Why would you want me to do that? Your braid is so much nicer when you do it."

"I just really enjoy you playing with my hair." Kassandra admits a bit sheepishly, her cheeks gaining a light pinkish hue courtesy of the candlelight. "That, and I know you're going to lose so I'm trying to be nice." Kassandra grins. "If I go too big at first, you'll never want to bet me again."

"That..." Kyra trails off mid sentence, "...surprisingly makes a lot of sense."

"You say that like I _don't_ ever have good ideas." Kassandra chuckles as she adjusts herself to a sitting position. "I am smarter than you give me credit for."

"Oh, Kassandra, I have no doubts whatsoever in your intelligence." Kyra assures. "That said, I know you can be influenced and I think your tiredness is making you a little delirious."

"That mean you're backing out?"

"Not a chance." Kyra answers confidently. If Kassandra wanted to lose so badly, she would be happy to oblige her. 

What to choose though...

She could keep it simple and match Kassandra, but that seemed a bit too easy. She could always up the stakes and make it something ridiculous, but then Kassandra could back out. Maybe somewhere in the middle...

Aha! 

Kyra knew the perfect wager. Just because Kassandra was playing it conservative didn't mean she had to.

"If I win, I want a favor."

"What kind of favor?" Kassandra asks intrigued.

"I don't know yet, but it will be of moderate importance."

"I feel you're putting a lot of thought into this."

"Of course! I never take less when I can get more. I would be a terrible leader without it."

"I don't think you could ever be terrible at anything even if you tried."

 _Easy now, she is just being nice_.

"So," Kyra switches topics back to the bet, "do we have a deal?"

"You're on."

Kyra had to admit, this made her excited in a weird way because this was just them goofing around, but it felt so, _so_ good. It made her forget that everything was falling apart and that it was just the two of them, like it used to be. Well, that isn't _entirely_ true, but it was close. They never really were alone, always had at least one person lingering around them at all times. It made her long for a place they could go to just be alone... but that was a daydream for another time.

"How are we going to do this?" Kyra asks. "I can go outside and pose and you can tell me what I look like."

"Yeah, that should work." Kassandra agrees with a smile. 

"How do I know you're not able to see through the straw?"

"You can cover my eyes with something, I can do it without them open."

Kyra skims the room until she finds a folded pile of clothes belonging to one of the scouts. 

"Ok, give me just a moment..." She walks over to pick up the first thing available, a top no less, and drapes it over Kassandra's head, effectively covering her eyes. "There, that's better."

"I promise not to move it. I'll even sit on my hand." Kassandra flexes her only good hand in front of her.

"You don't have to do that, I trust you. Now count to ten and I'll hold still."

Kyra doesn't bother to wait for Kassandra to start the count before she's outside in what's still mostly darkness, settling on an "arms extended out to her side" pose. It was probably pretty good that it wasn't even that light out or she'd feel even more ridiculous than she already did. Kyra holds still as she hears Kassandra reach ten.

A second goes by with no response, followed by another. It was almost enough time to make her think she'd won when Kassandra finally speaks up. 

"You're standing to my left with your arms outstretched."

_How in the..._

"Because I know you and I know what you're about to say," Kassandra continues, "I'll count to ten again and you can do a second one."

Kyra drops her arms to her side and chalks it up to a lucky guess for Kassandra's first victory. It shouldn't even be possible for her to do that...

"Four, five, six..." Kassandra counts and Kyra quickly (but quietly) moves around, deciding on a bent over position with so her hands touching her toes.

Kyra waits like before and a several seconds pass by before Kassandra pipes up.

"You either got cut in half or you're bending over. Oh, and you're near the back of me."

_This isn't possible..._

Kyra unfolds herself, stretching out her limbs.

"Now you're stretching."

"There's still a chance this is just a giant coincidence." Kyra protests. "You just are really lucky."

"Is it luck when I tell you that you're not the only one outside?" Kassandra speaks up. "You've got two figures about to pass you by."

"There isn't anyone-," Kyra starts to say, but the words die out as footsteps become audible. Sure enough, two Daughters on patrol stroll on by her, paying her no mind as she stands outside awkwardly. 

If Kyra's jaw could detach itself, it would be in the dirt because of how unbelievable this experience was. Kassandra could _actually_ see through walls! Kyra didn't need a third time to believe her because there was no way she could have known what was going on. Not even _she_ knew it and she was within range. 

This was incredible!

Kyra rushes back inside and the first thing she observes is a very, _very_ smug Kassandra, a wicked grin and rightfully so. She had won fair and square. She knew she had this guaranteed and Kyra just made it easy for her to get something from it. It was well played and this was a loss that maybe wasn't such a loss after all.

"You feel that?" Kassandra asks.

Kyra's eyebrows furrow as she looks down at herself to see if she's missing something. "No?"

"Oh, sorry, that must just be the feel of winning and you wouldn't know what that was like." 

If Kyra had anything in her hands, she'd have tossed it square at her.

"Humble much?" Kyra feigns the "sore loser" to match Kassandra's "poor winner" attitude.

"Me?" Kassandra dismissively exhales. "Not even a little."

"You just went straight to gloating, didn't even take a detour to being decent about this."

"Why pretend when we both know I'm the best?"

"Oh, was that what this was about?"

"No, but it is a bonus."

"I want a rematch." Kyra demands. "Not now, but soon."

"Done. I can handle anything." Kassandra grins as she lays down on her back. "I just will hate beating you twice in a row."

"First off," Kyra counters, "you wouldn't hate it and we _both_ know that. Secondly, I am going to kick your ass so hard that you won't be able to sit without thinking of me."

"That sounds win-win to me."

"Weren't you tired?" Kyra changes the subject to keep it going. "Just shut up and go to sleep."

"I was I was fine, you were the one who wanted to come back. Besides, I know you're dying of curiosity and must have tons of questions."

"I can't do that with you talking now, can I?" Kyra comments as she settles back down herself, trying her best to ignore the gap between them. "And I do have questions, but I don't want to ask them while you're being insufferable."

"Someone's grumpy." Kassandra teases, chuckling shortly after the jab.

"I'm always grumpy," Kyra responds, "you're just now figuring it out."

"You're only grumpy when you get stressed."

"Which is me _all_ the time."

"Are you stressed now?"

The comment seemed to veer clear of their playful banter and seemed to be genuine.

"I would be lying if I said I wasn't."

"Are you really worried about this? It really isn't as big of a deal as it is being made out to be."

"Sort of?" Kyra answers as honestly as she could. "I just know everyone is going to be watching me, rooting for me to fail. Whatever Daphnae has planned, I know it is to prove she's better than me."

"Not everyone is rooting for you to fail."

"I'm sure Eliana isn't, but the rest of them are. There is no love lost between us."

"I, uh-, I meant me." Kassandra fumbles out. "I am not rooting against you."

"Oh." Kyra responds a bit too quickly.

"Oh? What do you mean 'oh'?"

 _Malaka_! Now she needed to do some damage control because she did not want this spiraling into an argument.

"It's just hard to see you siding with me over her is all. It isn't like you have a habit of backing me up with her."

Kyra had expectations with Kassandra's next response. She expected her to protest, to claim she was not taking a side, or just some general way for her to not accept responsibility for her part in this love triangle they found themselves in. But, defying all Kyra's expectations, Kassandra does no such thing. She offers no excuse, no shift of blame, nothing of the sorts even. Instead, she owns it.

"You're right, I'm sorry." Kassandra offers her a sincere apology as she rolls over to her good arm, allowing her to look at Kyra. "I didn't know that's what I was doing, but it doesn't excuse that I did it."

Kyra's eyes widen enough to give away her surprise, knowing immediately that Kassandra picked up on it too. "Wow- uh, I guess I didn't expect that just now."

"I haven't been a good friend to you and I am trying to make it right. The fact that you're surprised I'm saying this stuff doesn't look good for me."

"You're being too hard on yourself. You were trying to see both sides because you _do_ have a connection with Daphnae, for better or worse."

"Can you forgive me?"

The way Kassandra was looking at her would melt even the hardest of hearts. The sincerity was on full show and there was no denying that Kassandra actually felt bad about what had happened. She had already forgiven her in a way, unable to hold a grudge, but hearing it be asked for was something she hadn't known she needed. It was an affirmation that she wasn't just crazy jealous (although she was still a _little_ jealous) and that what she was feeling had been validated.

It was cathartic, refreshing even.

"That depends..." Kyra teases out to make Kassandra suffer just a bit.

"On?"

"If I can come over to your side and warm up. I'm cold and you're always so hot." Kassandra grins at the word choice and Kyra rolls her eyes. "Not like that."

"I am pretty hot, aren't I?" Kassandra repeats as she smiles widely. "But yeah, I suppose I can be generous and share some of my heat with you."

Kyra didn't need to be told twice and she's up and at Kassandra in no time flat. "Scooch over." 

"So pushy." Kassandra teases as she wiggles herself back. "You'll just have to hold on to me tight, wouldn't want you to fall."

"You're so considerate."

Kyra nestles into Kassandra, wrapping her arm around her waist with her head finds a home in the crook of her neck. As soon as she gets comfortable, the tiredness she wasn't feeling before comes in full force. Her limbs grew heavy and she found her eyelids drooping further and further with each second. Kassandra was her calm in the storm, always, and she couldn't imagine going through life never knowing such peace again. The weight of her worries didn't seem so heavy when she was in the arms of the woman who was her whole world.

Next thing Kyra knew, a beam of light was shining in through a gap in the straw, landing square on her face. She drags her hand thrown over Kassandra to shield her eyes, refusing to open them just yet.

"You're going to be late if you don't hurry." Kassandra hums as she traces a random pattern on Kyra's back.

"You're too comfortable." Kyra groans.

"I don't know if that's a compliment or if you're telling me I need to exercise."

"You're muscles are sculpted from marble, you don't have to lift a finger and you'll be the fittest person known to man."

"How can I be marble _and_ be comfortable? That doesn't seem right."

"I cannot handle your mouth right now." Kyra shifts the hand blocking the light from her face to somewhere on Kassandra's. "Shhhh."

Kyra can feel the vibrations of Kassandra's laughter through her fingertips followed by a soft kiss placed upon her palm.

"Come now, we have to get you ready."

"Fine!" Kyra relents as she flops over onto her back. "But I'm not happy about it."

"You poor baby." Kassandra coos as she sits herself upright. "I'll make it up to you later."

"You drive a hard bargain, but I accept your terms."

Kassandra is up and standing, magnificent as ever and Kyra could find herself staring at her all day without a care.

"Want a hand?" Kassandra asks as she extends her good arm forward.

Kyra graciously accepts and the two of them get ready together. Kyra helps Kassandra with practically everything and Kassandra offers what she can. Still, it was just how it used to be and that gave Kyra the focus she needed to get through whatever was headed her way. 

Kassandra convinces her to wear some of the spare clothes just laying around for additional mobility and she found herself feeling a little bit exposed. She wasn't conservative by any means, but her attire was usually more traditional and full length... and this was anything but.

"Doesn't your stomach get cold like this? It doesn't seem practical." Kyra says as she looks down to her exposed midriff.

"As someone who proudly displays her stomach at all times, it makes a difference. I have worn full suits for battle and I've had only my underwear on and less can be more."

"I guess I still don't understand, but I'll have to trust that you know what you're talking about."

"The less you wear, the less likely you are to be caught on branches or bushes. In this kind of terrain it is easy to rip your clothes so by having less to start with, you can reduce the damage it takes."

"Is this a fact?"

Kyra runs her hands over her stomach, feeling the goosebumps as she feels a bit of a draft. This would take some serious getting used to, but Kassandra wouldn't purposely steer her wrong and she could see the merit in her words. She had ruined many outfits while she was out hunting, the threads fraying constantly from the abrasiveness of her environment. It made sense and she was willing to try almost anything at least once.

"I don't know if it is a fact, but it is common sense and I know you're a big fan of that." Kassandra says as she steps to be right behind her, her fingers tracing on her exposed hips. "And, it makes you look amazing."

"So you're saying this could all be some big ploy to see me with less clothing?" Kyra teases all while trying to hide the hitch in her voice at Kassandra's close proximity.

"I think we both know I wouldn't have to go through all this trouble if that's what I wanted."

The way Kassandra says this makes her feel _everything_. From the ghost of a breath at the back of her neck, the warm sensation she feels from where Kassandra touches her, or just the way it almost purrs out of her... Her mind was beginning to fog and she knew that, for the both of them, that she'd need to take a step back. 

She hated herself from pulling away from Kassandra's touch, but she'd hate herself more if they broke this "code" thing they've got going on. So, Kyra does the responsible thing and puts the distance between them and changes the subject.

"What do you think this contest will make up of?"

"I don't know for certain, but I'd say accuracy and adaptability. How good you can work under pressure and all that."

"But if that's what we're doing, I don't know why you're competing too. You couldn't hold a bow to save your life, it wouldn't be fair."

"First of all, that's rude." Kassandra chastises her for the jab. "Secondly, I could _totally_ handle a bow."

Kyra doesn't even bother justifying it with a response when a look would do. A clear "you're full of it look" face was radiating loud and clear, sending the right message. It works too because Kassandra rubs the back of her neck in embarrassment.

"Ok, maybe I _can't_ , but I should be. I've never taken this long before to heal for something like this."

"How long is normal for you for something like this?"

"Maybe a few days? Six or seven at the most."

"We've been here for longer than that, easily."

"I know, but I don't seem to be getting any better. Something is wrong with me, but I don't know what or why." Kassandra begins to pace, clearly bothered by her inability to heal herself. "I still can't summon Ikaros and I wasn't actually sure I could still see beyond the walls until I just did it. The range is too short and it gives me a small headache after I do it."

"Why did you do more if it hurt you?!"

"Because it was nice to feel normal again." Kassandra looks at her with a deep pain behind her eyes. "I feel like a stranger in my own skin and I don't know how to make it better. I just feel... wrong."

"Oh Kassandra..." 

Kyra's heart felt her pain. She had been craving a sense of normalcy for a while now so if the opportunity arose for it, she would have jumped on it too. It had to be so much different for someone like Kassandra than she could ever understand. Here was a woman who was _extraordinary_ in every sense of the word, a woman who knew no bounds, having to play by all the rules that never applied to her. Not that Kassandra was above the laws of the gods, but she was sure close to it. Kassandra was as close to a goddess as possible so having to live a life that was not her own had to be difficult. Struggles were not a competition and Kassandra's strifes didn't lessen her own, she knew better than to view this as anything but a confession between friends. Kassandra was entrusting her with a vulnerability and Kyra was going to do what she could to console her.

Kyra doesn't even ask before she walks up to Kassandra and envelopes her in a hug. She could feel Kassandra tense at first, but it didn't take long for her to return it the best she could. Kyra didn't do this for pity, she did this for compassion. She _did_ feel bad for Kassandra, but she would not let it define why she wanted to support her. What Kassandra needed was someone standing beside her, guiding her. One who would be patient and someone who would never try taking control of her, this was what Kyra hoped she showed and conveyed in every touch they shared.

She held Kassandra as tightly as she felt she could, cradling her head as it rested next to her own. "You're still you, abilities or not. They don't define you, only you can do that."

"But what if they don't ever come back? What if I can no longer be great?" Kassandra muffles against her, but Kyra can hear enough of it to figure it out.

Pulling away just a little, Kyra moves her hands to cup Kassandra's cheeks. She pulls her forward to place a tender kiss on her brow before resting her forehead against her. "You will always be great, Kassandra, your powers only made you greater. The Eagle Bearer is _you_ , your victories, yours, no power can take that away. They do not define who you are, you do."

"What if I'm no good?" Kassandra says in hushed sadness. "What if I can't be me without them?"

"Then we'll find out who the new you is."

"As in together?"

As if she even had to ask at this point. For better or for worse, Kyra knows she will be by her side and she is ready for whatever that means. Her love is not conditional and it isn't wavering. It may be tested (and boy has it ever), but she always knows where her home is and where her heart lies.

"Together." 

The air between them is intense and magnetizing, as if the cosmos themselves were urging them to bridge the small gap. Kassandra's strong hand finds itself behind Kyra's head, pressing her fingers ever so gently to keep her steady and in place. 

"I don't want this moment to end." Kassandra utters softly. "I only feel safe when I'm with you."

"There is nowhere you'd go that I would not follow." A statement, a promise, one Kyra intended to keep.

"I really want to kiss you."

Kyra's eyes close with the confession and she takes a deep breath to keep herself from giving in. She wanted to, _gods_ did she want to... but they would be right back to where they started. Kyra knew Kassandra meant it, but she also knew what it meant for them to keep their distance (so to speak). She didn't want to be the one to kill the mood, but it needed to be done.

"Friends don't kiss and that's what we are, remember?" Her voice tender, even with being the bearer of bad news. "We have to give this a proper chance."

"You're right, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done this." Kassandra tries to pull away out of embarrassment.

"You've done nothing wrong, please know this." Kyra affirms to her. "It isn't like I don't want to kiss you either, but this is important to you, so it's important to me too."

"Who knew it would be so hard to resist you?"

"I could've told you that." Kyra jests to lighten the mood up. "I _am_ akin to a siren."

"A siren?" Kassandra raises a brow quizzically. "That makes so much sense."

"I will release you from my enchanting song for now, but I cannot promise you won't come crawling back."

"How generous of you." Kassandra smiles, the two of them breaking their respective holds to step away from one another.

"I believe you and I are needed elsewhere." Kyra nods towards the entrance. "So what do you say? You ready to watch me wipe the floor?"

"I would love nothing more."

Kassandra squeezes her hand and Kyra makes no move to free herself as the grip lingers. Friends could hold hands, couldn't they? Well, even if they didn't, who was going to stop them? She already turned Kassandra down once today, she was not about to do it twice.


	16. Look What You Made Me Do

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my dearest readers 🧡.
> 
> I know it has been a little while, but I'm here now to give you the latest installment to the ever growing tensions. There's a lot going on in this and, for those paying attention, you're going to see a more obvious show of something I have been hinting at for a while now. I know at least one of you have caught on so let's see who else can pick it up 😈.
> 
> There also may or may not be a hint for where this story is going location/plot wise. I realized I had accidentally created the perfect path for this next major area while watch a stream of a friend of mine so I decided to officially tie it in. You know me, I love to weave in some solid canon where I can so, if you know your quests, you'll know where we're trying to go.
> 
> As always, thank you for your continued patience and support. I adore you all 😊.
> 
> Taylor Swift - Look What You Made Me Do  
> https://youtu.be/3K0RzZGpyds
> 
> P.S.  
> For any of you TLOU2 fans, I've officially got my first chapter out for Dina/Ellie!! 🙌🏼🙌🏼 Please feel free to check it out if you haven't already, it is sure to be an emotional ride. [A Heart's Burden](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27113743)

"You're late."

Daphnae's greeting wasn't warm, Kyra didn't really expect it to be. It was unattached and professional, meaning that from now on, it was no nonsense.

"Where were you?"

Truth be told, they had made a detour on their walk over to grab a bite to eat. It was going to be a long day and neither of them would fair well on an empty stomach, but Daphnae didn't need to know that.

"I'm here now." Kyra responds, holding her ground. "Where do you want me to start?"

Daphnae narrows her eyes in observation, noting the new attire Kyra was sporting, before she answers the question.

"We will start with the basics and work from there. Go and speak with Eliana and she'll get you started."

Eliana? Well, this was already turning out better than she had hoped. She would _much_ rather spend time with her than Daphnae if at all possible. 

"What will I do?" Kassandra chimes in, not wanting to be left out.

"You will come with me as we have other matters to attend to. Plus, you don't look like you're in any condition to train."

That appraisal shocks Kyra because, yes, Kassandra only had one arm of use, but she still was capable. However, upon turning to look at Kassandra, she could see she had become quite pale rather fast. 

"I'm fine." Kassandra responds, looking everything _but_ fine.

"The answer is no."

Kassandra doesn't seem too pleased by this decision, but she knew better than to argue. Kyra wasn't one to agree with Daphnae, but she too felt Kassandra shouldn't be straining herself when she looked like that. It wasn't ideal to be separated, but she was a big girl and could take care of herself. Whatever this day had in store for her, she'd meet the expectations and more. She had something to prove, she just didn't know to what extent. 

Kyra gives Daphnae a nod and turns around to go look for Eliana, but a hand grabs her and keeps her from advancing. Kyra had half a mind to yank her arm away on instinct (as she assumed it was Daphnae), but it turned out to be Kassandra and she was now glad she didn't. 

Kassandra doesn't say anything to her, but she also doesn't lessen her grip. There's a look that she's giving that makes Kyra wonder what's going on in her mind. It didn't seem urgent, but she could swear there was a hint of nervousness behind her stoic demeanor. Kassandra could fool many people, but not her, not with something like this. Something was bothering her, that much was clear, but neither of them knew how to vocalize it.

Knowing whatever unease they felt wouldn't make much of a difference now, Kyra places her hand on Kassandra's and gives it a light squeeze. "I'll be careful."

It was the best she could do and Kassandra seemed to relax at the confirmation. They may not have been able to pinpoint what they wanted to express, but they still were able to communicate that they both needed to be aware and vigilant. She didn't want to make a fuss now and draw attention to them, but something was _definitely_ wrong. She just had to believe that Kassandra understood this and that she wasn't just ignoring her (obvious) ailments.

Finally after a minute or so, Kassandra loosens her grip and drops her arm back to her side. Her hand felt clammy and her skin was beginning to sweat, a sheen glistening from her brow as the daylight took hold. 

"Are you well?" Daphnae asks her with genuine concern, her image of leadership being tossed aside for Kassandra's wellbeing. "You look pale."

"I think I overdid it on my run this morning. I'll be fine, just need to sit down."

"You shouldn't strain yourself like that or you'll never get better. I've told you to take it easy."

"You know me," Kassandra smiles through her discomfort in her typical fashion, "I never listen."

Daphnae turns to Kyra, her expression dropping the tenderness the moment their eyes connect. "Aren't you supposed to be somewhere?"

"You got it." Kyra takes a hand and touches two fingers to the temple of her forehead in a mock salute. She gives Kassandra a last parting look before she makes her way towards Eliana, her mind racing with what had just transpired in the past few minutes.

Kassandra had been perfectly healthy (relatively speaking) and for her to be in such a state of disarray so quickly... it got her thinking. As much as she wanted to be overly affectionate, she also knew eyes were always on them. While their relationship was not really a secret, she didn't want to advertise anything more than what they already knew. This meant that she had to trust Kassandra would be fine. This also meant that they both needed to have a very serious discussion because something was _very_ wrong and she knew they both knew it. 

Kassandra had not gone for a run this morning so why would she lie? There had to be a reason, there always was, so she didn't protest or correct her when she heard this clearly false claim. It also was the biggest reason she didn't check in with her because she _didn't_ know what Kassandra was doing and she didn't want to ruin it. All Kyra knew was that these people couldn't be trusted, not even Eliana. She had given her no reason not to trust her, but if she was compliant in whatever was harming Kassandra, she would never forgive her. It seemed unlikely, but everyone was a suspect at this point in time.

From what Kassandra had told her to what she'd put together herself, it seemed to lead down a path of malice and ill intent. There were _far_ too many coincidences for it to be chance. Her halted healing, her dampened abilities, the surveillance... it was all connected, it had to be. The only questions were how and why? The Daughters were hiding something and she had to find out what. 

The first logical step was to figure out just _how_ they were doing this. Her beliefs in the more mythical region varied, but she didn't believe this affliction to be divine in nature. The gods were cruel, this was true, but this bore no signs. Kassandra had not stolen anything precious, she had not stolen a lover, nor had she done much of anything lately. The punishment didn't fit the actions and that meant that this was man made, not godly. She was near Daphnae more often than not so if anyone knew what was going on, it would be her. Only problem was she would never admit to it so it was up to Kyra to work those closest to her. 

As much as it pained her to do it, she was going to have to manipulate Eliana to tell her what she knew.

There was just no way that she wouldn't know at least _something_ about the situation. It wasn't like Kyra could just come out and ask either because she had nothing air tight and it was all speculation. If she was going to get anything, she had to do it in a way Eliana wouldn't realize. She only needed a couple slips to point her in the right direction so her silver tongue needed to be as glistening as she could manage. She would feel awful for tricking Eliana like this, but Kassandra's health was far more important than anything she could face as a consequence.

Once she understood just how they were managing this, she could try to figure out why. This was far too extreme to just be some long play at revenge. Maybe if Daphnae wasn't so enamored with Kassandra she could believe it, but that woman still loved her so she wouldn't do anything that could kill her. Disable her? Sure, but nothing that couldn't be undone. This, however, would be putting a lot of faith in assumptions and she wasn't so confident she had Daphnae pegged to bet on it. Kassandra was special and the cultists were after her for her bloodline so the Daughters could be interested in that too. It seemed a bit excessive though and it wouldn't be in line with Artemis, but she couldn't overlook it entirely. Religious zealots tended to twist narrative to fit what they desired to hear.

Kyra should've trusted her gut from the start of all of this mess.

The Daughters never have sat right with her and she's learned to ignore it for Kassandra sake, but with what was happening now, she regrets not listening to her instincts. This group was shady in every way imaginable, but she didn't want to believe in the worst because she didn't want Kassandra to think she was reacting out of jealousy. Maybe it was like that at first, but that's not what drove it now. It became increasingly clearer as each day passed that she was onto something and things were not what they appeared.

Her mind was full as she approached Eliana outside the main entrance. 

"Kyra! Good to see you." Eliana smiled warmly at her company. "I feel like it has been a while since we've really had a chance to even see one another."

"You're a busy woman, it can't be easy to find time for someone like me."

"Someone like you?" Eliana repeats back to her with a small laugh. "I don't think anyone here is like you."

"That a good thing?" Kyra keeps her tone playful.

"Depends on the day." Eliana remarks with a wink. "Come now, we're going to head for an outpost southeast of here. We've got everything all set up."

Kyra takes the cue and the two of them begin their walk to this outpost. The walk couldn't be too long given what she knew about her surroundings so if she was going to try to work anything out of Eliana, she'll need to try to work on it now.

"What exactly will I be doing today?" Kyra asks curiously. "I've already shared I have bow training so I'm not sure what exactly this is about."

"Daphnae has asked me to appraise you and report my observations, I don't honestly know much else beyond that."

Kyra had found her opening unintentionally. Eliana sharing that Daphnae didn't tell her anything and, combined with what she already knew of their relationship, she could work to drive a bit of a wedge.

"She doesn't talk to you about these sorts of things? That doesn't sound right."

"Daphnae is a very private person and she has a lot of responsibilities." Eliana defends, completely ignoring the fact that she never answered the question.

"That may be true, but you're her _partner_ , that should mean you're not treated like one of her subjects."

"We're not subjects. _I_ am not a subject." 

"Are you sure about that?" Kyra continues to pick at the threads of their relationship. "Because from my perspective, she treats you no better than me and that says something."

"You don't know her like I do."

"I shouldn't have to." Kyra quips back without missing a beat. "If I can see this without knowing her, that makes it even worse."

Just pointing out the obvious wasn't going to win her any favors as _nobody_ wants to be reminded of how little they truly mean to someone. She needed to help Eliana see just _how_ poorly she was being treated. 

"Look, I'm not here to judge what you chose to do with your life, but I am your friend and I care about you." This at least wasn't a lie, she did genuinely care for Eliana. "I just don't think you're being treated right."

"What would you even know about it? You don't know what she and I discuss."

"No, but I know what she tells Kassandra."

Eliana flinches just enough for Kyra to know she's struck a nerve. Kassandra to Eliana was like Daphnae to her. 

A threat. 

"Is that so?" Eliana inquires, her tone a mix between skepticism and interest.

"Kassandra and I have had our issues, but we're working on ourselves so we can be better. Part of that is a trust of what happens when we're not with one another. She will tell me what has happened in her day and I share mine, the good and the bad. I know _all_ about what is going on in relation to her. It is how we grow together and become stronger, no secrets and no lying."

It was a bit more of a bluff, but they _did_ talk so she had some truth to back it up.

"I can't remember the last time Daphnae told me anything like that." Eliana confesses. "We barely speak of anything that isn't related to the good of the village."

"She doesn't tell you anything?"

"Nothing." Eliana sighs heavily at her truth. "She won't get close to me in any way it seems."

"It isn't your fault." Kyra assures as she reaches out her hand to still Eliana, her grip firm on her forearm. "You are so wonderful and it is a shame that Daphnae refuses to see that. You are more than she deserves."

"What I want doesn't matter, I live for Artemis and our people."

"But how can you be miserable and call that living? Forcing yourself to be unhappy because you're expected to be subservient doesn't seem fair. Do you truly believe Artemis would condone of who you're becoming? Isn't that who your purpose should be for?"

"Artemis speaks through Daphnae, she knows what the goddess desires of us, of me."

"And there's not even a small part of you that questions that?" Kyra asks, urging Eliana to look deeper than the surface. "Do you truly think that the goddess doesn't try to show you the path in her own way?"

"I mean, maybe. I feel like I get signs sometimes, but when I tell Daphnae about it she says that only she knows and that is the end of the discussion."

"Don't you ever wonder _why_ she does that?"

"Of course I do, but I know what it would mean and I know that I'd never have Daphnae again."

"You don't even have her in the first place." Kyra hadn't wanted to be this blunt, but this needed to be said. Eliana was so caught up in her grand delusions of what she wanted Daphnae to be that she ignored who she actually was. "I know you love her, but she doesn't love you."

Eliana tugs away her arm from Kyra's hold at this, cradling it to her own chest. "But she does love me." Saying it in such a way that it was like she was trying to convince herself it was the truth. "She has to."

"We both know she doesn't." Kyra says as gently as possible. "You don't treat someone you love like how she treats you, no matter how many excuses you make for her."

Kyra moves to stand closer to the woman who's heart is being broken from the truth when she catches sight of a few lone tears falling down her cheeks. Kyra's heart tells her that Eliana is not the enemy here and is a product of Daphnae's cruelty too. Kyra wants to make it better for her, but all she can do is be here. She cannot force Eliana to see the truth and she cannot make her stand up for herself. She could only be a shoulder to lean on in a storm she was responsible for starting. 

"Does she love her?" Eliana chokes out in a half hearted effort to keep herself composed.

"Who?" Kyra asks, needing clarification of if she means Daphnae or Kassandra.

"Daphnae." Eliana responds, her eyes bloodshot from the tears as she looks her dead in the eyes. "Kassandra tells you everything so you have to know. Does she love her?"

"Yes." Kyra confirms. "This I actually know for myself as I accidentally overheard a discussion of theirs and she confessed it. I didn't want to say anything as it wasn't my place to hurt you like this, but you deserve to know the truth."

"Does Kassandra?" Eliana looks at her pleadingly. "Does she love Daphnae?"

"No. Not anymore."

"Are you absolutely sure?"

Was she?

Kyra had to take a moment to really think about it. She knew she had to trust Kassandra when she said she was her past, but there was _always_ doubt lingering in the back of her mind. However, Kyra knew that voice was her own doing and she had to believe Kassandra or else they would never be able to grow. Her struggles with Kassandra would never be quelled, but she would learn, in time, how to deal with them. She would always have the worry of Kassandra leaving her in the back of her mind, but if she allowed that to control her, she would destroy them before they ever could have a chance. Kassandra had broken her trust before by withholding the truth, she had to entrust that the same mistake would not be made again.

"Yes." Kyra finally answers after a few seconds. "She and I have talked about it and she has made it very clear that her heart did not lie with Daphnae."

"I just don't understand what else I can do..." Eliana says defeated.

"Stand up for yourself." Kyra encourages, her hands moving to hold Eliana's. "Do not settle for anything less than what you deserve. _Show_ her that you're serious and that you will not be walked on anymore. You are her person in life and she needs to damn well act like it."

"If I did that, there would be no telling what would happen to me. The Daughters are all I've ever known and I've been made to serve Artemis."

"You don't need the Daughters to be close to Artemis, you just need to open your eyes and ears to what she's showing you."

"I-, I don't know if I can."

"You won't know until you try."

Eliana straightens up a bit now that the weight of the conversation has lifted. "I'm sorry, you shouldn't have to see me like this."

"Everyone needs a friend and I'm more than happy to be yours."

"Can you, uh, not say anything to anyone about this? I don't even want to know what would happen if Daphnae found out about this."

"Unless these woods have ears, nobody will know of this conversation."

"Even Kassandra?"

"Even Kassandra." Kyra confirms without missing a beat. "I will not lie to her, but she does not need to know to the extent in which we spoke, only that we did."

"Thank you for that, I know you don't have loyalty here, but it means a lot that you care."

"My loyalty is to those I care about and, if you haven't heard me the two times I've said it before this conversation, you're one of them. I only want you to be happy and live your best life."

"I wish that for you too." Eliana answers back with a small smile. "I am glad you and Kassandra seem to be on the right path."

"We're trying to be friends first and see where that takes us for now. It was her idea and I'm happy to oblige if it helps her understand what she truly wants."

"Aren't you afraid of her finding someone new?"

"Of course I am. I'd need to be blind to not see how stunning she is and I'd be stupid to ignore that others can see this too."

"How do you do it?"

"One minute at a time." Kyra looks down, releasing her hold on Eliana. "I know who she is, but I also have to remember who I am and what I bring to this. If Kassandra can't see my worth, I need to. Love blinds us to many things, but it should never come at such a cost."

"That sounds awfully wise for someone so young to the world."

"I've seen more than I ever should have, but that has helped mold me into who I am today and that's not something anyone else can take from me."

"I wish I could be more like you."

"Why be me when you can be you?" Kyra counters. "You just have to keep working until you find someone you like to see looking back in your reflection."

"I suppose you're right. Thank you, honestly. I never realized how good it feels to talk about these things."

"Any time, I mean it." Kyra smiles back. "I know I won't be here forever, but that doesn't mean that we have to stop speaking."

"I'd like that, keeping in touch I mean." Eliana comments as the two begin to walk once more. "I know your ship is coming soon, but I'm grateful for what time we've had."

"My ship?" Kyra asks confused. "What are you talking about?"

"I overheard Daphnae speaking with someone yesterday about it. They said that you would be 'taken back where you belong' and I assumed that meant home."

"Neither Kassandra nor I have attempted to contact anyone outside these walls. Nobody would know we're here."

"Somebody does." Eliana comments. "I didn't hear much before I announced myself, but it sounded a bit intense."

Kyra found herself at a crucial point in her trust with Eliana because, to get more information, she would have to _give_ some. The cult was known so it wasn't like it was a secret, but just _why_ they were being hunted was not known to anyone besides Daphnae at this point from what Kassandra has told her. 

"Kassandra and I are being hunted." Kyra says, opting to share enough to show her trust. "There are people who want us dead and we've been searching for their people for a while now."

"Does it have to do with the cult?"

"Yes. They're the ones who keep searching for us and, by what you've just said to me, I think they know we're not dead."

"I couldn't get a good look at the woman she was speaking with. I'm sorry."

"It's okay. What you know is enough and I thank you for telling me."

Eliana seems to be fiddling with her hands as she looks towards the ground. "I don't think I should be telling you all this, but I don't think they're just here for you."

Kyra's brows scrunch together. "What? What else could they want if not us?"

Eliana looks around them to ensure they're not overheard before she moves in close, angling her head over her shoulder and dropping her voice to a whisper. "We have something they want. I haven't been able to see it for myself, but we've been protecting an artifact for some time now."

Kyra, mimicking Eliana's posture and tone, responds. "What could they do with an artifact?"

"I don't know, but what I _do_ know is that they would do anything for it."

"Why don't they just take it if they want it so bad? They have the numbers."

"Our skills are superior and these are our lands, we have an advantage. That woman has been trying to strike a deal for a long time, but we have always declined."

"Do you know where it is kept?"

"I have my suspicions, but Daphnae forbids anyone from speaking of it and I couldn't betray that, not now."

"I understand. I just am trying to protect myself and Kassandra so any little bit helps."

Eliana turns her body towards her as much as possible without it being awkward and moves her arm across her neck twice from left to right in a "throat cutting" motion.

Kyra takes a look ahead to see a guard from the outpost approaching them and takes the hint.

"State your business." The guard addresses Eliana.

"This is Kyra." Eliana introduces her, but the guard doesn't even spare a glance. "Daphnae has requested her to be trained."

"Very well." The guard answers as she finally acknowledges Kyra, appraising her before stepping aside. "You may enter."

Eliana takes the lead and Kyra follows right behind. She couldn't see much yet as the wooden posts were large and tightly packed, but as soon as they cleared the entrance, she got the full view.

There were many body shaped straw targets lined up along the left side of the outpost while the right looked like a full armory. There was no shortage of weapons, that's for sure. Bows, daggers, swords, and spears to name a few, all on full display and it seemed perfectly normal to everyone but Kyra. There were guards at the top of the watchtowers, all armed well, and there were armed Daughters on patrol within the confines of the wall.

"Come, grab a bow and let's get started." Eliana nods for them to go left. "I've been dying to see what you can do."

"Have you now?" Kyra answers in a lighthearted manner. "Afraid I'm going to show you up are you?"

"Ha!" Eliana exaggerates a boisterous laugh. "That will be the day. I've been training all my life for this."

"As have I." Kyra confidently chimes back. "You don't overthrow a regime by words alone."

"Confidence, I like that." Eliana smiles as she nudges Kyra gently with her shoulder. "Grab your bow of choice and I'll show you a thing or two."

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you're doubting me." Kyra arches her brow in a challenge.

"I might be, guess you'll just have to prove me wrong."

"Now _that_ ," Kyra gives a cheeky smile, "is something I can do." Ending it with a wink for good measure.

The two women find their desired bow and take their positions.

"Let's start easy." Eliana says as she rolls her shoulders. "Three in the torso." 

Kyra watches as Eliana's shots all hit their mark before she takes up her stance, hitting almost the same spots on her own target.

"You're going to need to do better than that." Kyra taunts as they both move forward to retrieve their arrows.

"You asked for it." Eliana comments as she remove her last arrow from the target. "Six shots. Two in the arms, one in the chest, and one square in the face."

"Same time?" Kyra asks as she gets settled.

"Same time." Eliana answers, doing the same.

They take the same positions as before and proceed to hit every spot with pinpoint accuracy. It had been a while since she'd used a bow, but it came back like she'd never been away. Her bow was an extension of herself and she entrusted that Artemis would guide her arrows to where they needed to go. For the first time since she'd gone on this odyssey with Kassandra, she's finally felt in her element. Barring the semi fortress she found herself in, this was exactly what she used to do growing up. Her targets were not as well put together as these were, but its purpose matched all the same.

She had lost track of how many hours she would pour into target practice over the years. As she aged, her terrain would too until she found herself striving for the impossible. As the tensions rose on the island, so did the threat, but it only heightened the thrill for her. She would take shots through the smallest openings, at a full sprint, or even upside down, all in the name of a mastery she knew she could never obtain. There would always be more to learn, but she had always made it a point to be better than she was before.

Eliana instructs her to do more, each ask being more difficult than before, but she manages to pull them all off and makes it look easy.

"You're not bad, not bad at all." Eliana comments, fully impressed. "I have a feeling you're holding out on me with your best stuff."

"I told you all before, I'm not an amateur." Kyra says as she wipes away the sweat forming across her forehead. "You haven't seen even _half_ of what I'm capable of."

"Let's see what you've got." Eliana comments while she looks around them, her face falling from whatever she seems to spot. "Actually, let's not. You seem to be popular and I don't think we should draw any more attention."

Kyra allows her eyes to roam to spot what prompted the change, but she doesn't see anything out of the ordinary. 

"If you say so." She agrees, letting her arm with the bow dangle at her side. "What should we do now?"

"Why don't we go to the water? It will be nice to feel the breeze to cool off some."

Their walk wasn't far as the coast was right beside them, but it was distanced enough to give the feel of space. It also helped that the majority of the sanded area was blocked from view, allowing what little privacy one could get in such a public space.

They stand side by side facing the water, both looking towards the horizon.

"This all looks... impressive." Kyra comments, not knowing the right word to say to describe what she actually feels.

"We owe this to the Eagle Bearer." Eliana responds, shifting to look over towards Kyra. "She took this from the Athenians and we moved in after she was forced to flee."

"So you stole it?"

Kyra had meant it more as a joke than anything, but Eliana didn't seem to notice.

"We took what was taken I suppose. I'm not sure why we needed it though, we only use it to train. Seems like we've been training a lot lately now that I think about it."

"I didn't realize you were _that_ kind of follower."

The inflection given was to accentuate what she omitted. She didn't want to say the word she took these women as, but it fell awfully close to the particular group she was being hunted by.

"What do you mean?"

"A group that forces their beliefs on others, I just didn't think that's who you all were. From what Kassandra's told me, it sounded like quite the opposite."

"Kassandra is right. We do not force others to accept Artemis."

"Then why does it look like you're ready to go to war?" Kyra motions beside them to prove her point. "You have more bows than people and everyone here looks primed and ready to strike on command."

"Should we not be able to defend ourselves?" Eliana challenges back. "We have a duty to these lands and that means we always have to be ready."

"There's a difference between self defense and an onslaught. What you've got here isn't for defense, it is for an attack."

Kyra had seen stockades like this back on Mykonos and the Athenians didn't use it to protect. They used it to cripple the Mykonians and cut down anyone who dared speak against them. Weapons like this would bring destruction and death on innocent people and that was _not_ the way of Artemis.

"Daphnae only wants us to be prepared."

"From what?!" Kyra scoffs, dumbfounded by Eliana's naivete. "What could _possibly_ be coming that justifies what you're doing here? Please, explain it to me."

"I-," Eliana hesitates, not having an answer. "I don't know... I can't..."

"I am _begging_ you to open your eyes and see what's happening here." Kyra tries to plead to any sense of decency within Eliana. "This isn't right. You _have_ to know that."

"Daphnae _has_ to have her reasons. She would never willingly endanger us and she wouldn't stray from Artemis."

"Are you trying to get me to believe that or yourself?" Kyra's voice raises, her passion getting the best of her. "All you are doing is making excuses for her bad behavior! She is not the same woman she was and it is high time you open your eyes to the truth before it is too late."

"I need you to go." Eliana says, taking a few steps back. "I can't do this with you right now."

Eliana looked conflicted, but Kyra knew she was doing the right thing. Eliana's blind loyalty was going to get her in trouble and Kyra had no desire to watch it happen.

"What should I tell Daphnae?" Kyra asks knowing that she'd likely be questioned for her return without her escort. 

"Tell her I was impressed and cut the session short." Eliana answers. "It isn't a lie as your skills with a bow are incredible and I'll handle the rest when I see her."

"Are you sure?" Kyra presses a bit more. "I don't want to get you into trouble."

"You're _only_ trouble." Eliana snaps. "You've done nothing but upend my life since we met and I just need to think. So, go. Please."

Eliana's temper was beginning to flare and now wasn't the time to press. Kyra couldn't get into a heated discussion like this, not here of all places, and Eliana wasn't even wrong. Kyra _had_ brought up a new perspective on just about everything in her life, making her see things she never would have. Ultimately, Eliana too was a victim of Daphnae's manipulation and she just had to trust that Eliana would see these injustices as such on her own. She could show her the truth, but seeing and believing are two separate entities. She just had to wait and see what would come of this "talk" of theirs. 

This was all spiraling into something, but just what was still unclear. She needed to speak to Kassandra now more than ever to share what she knows. If Daphnae knew this and hadn't shared this with them, it only makes her an accomplice for whatever was to befall them. This mysterious artifact and its ties with the cult was also knew, that and this woman that kept making an appearance in Eliana's stories...

They all had _one_ connection, something that bonded them, and that was Daphnae.

She couldn't be allowed to continue if she was actively working with the very cult they had vowed to destroy. She was so obviously hiding something to not only them, but her own people. There was no shred of the woman Kassandra had once spoken of. There was no honor and there was no loyalty, only deception and secrets. There was something rotten here and Kyra was determined to find out what.

Daphnae has some serious explaining to do for all of this or Kyra would kill her herself, consequences be damned.


	17. About Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been away for so long that you all probably are married off with toddlers by now 😂. All I can say is video games got their talons into me and that's where my focus has been. Cyberpunk 2077 comes out this Thursday and I've been waiting over 2 years for that game so I intend to get lost in it... However, a good friend of mine (who is to thank for this) brought up my lack of an update yesterday and I made a promise to her to have it done by tonight and I made sure I kept it. She will be on my case if it gets too long again so I can comfortably say it won't be a month for the next one 😉.
> 
> I hope you all love this as were back to Kassandra now to catch up her end of the story. Happy reading and I hope you all are healthy and safe during these trying times.
> 
> MARINA - About Love  
> https://youtu.be/2lDhPjksqLQ

To wake is a privilege, but to wake with another is something that transcends rationality. 

Kassandra had accepted the fact that Kyra was her anchor in a dark storm and she wouldn't deny how much she needed her to feel normal. She calmed the demons within her and let her weary soul rest, even for only a fleeting moment. She'd be a fool and a liar if she didn't concede her restful sleep to anyone but Kyra. She still had her moments of struggle, sure, but it wasn't as bad as it was without her nearby. She could never relax enough without her and trying to sleep was a near impossible feat. Last night was a night she didn't deserve, but one she was grateful for nonetheless.

Their quarrels didn't end when she slept, but it was _different_. Her dreams would offer insight and opportunity as opposed to a reflection of failure. She did her best to observe and learn the lessons it was trying to teach to apply them when she woke (if she remembered). It was a small part of the new cycle she was trying to adopt to get herself better aligned, to start the day on the right foot, and it was all thanks to Kyra. She wasn't much of an optimist, but she wouldn't scoff at her realistic approach getting an adjustment every now and again.

Her thoughts became clearer the more she began to wake and, even though she knew she needed to get up, the warm embrace of the bed kept a tight hold and she had no mind to fight it. There was one thing missing though and, with her body moving on instinct, she rolls over to set her arm on Kyra... only to find nothing. Her arm was only met with the chill of cool air and an even colder feel of fur beneath her fingertips. The lull of sleep had nothing on knowing Kyra's whereabouts so, cracking an eye open, Kassandra confirms what she already knows.

_Empty._

Kassandra wouldn't admit it out loud, but she was disappointed to not have those extra moments with Kyra to begin the day. She hadn't been much for non sexual contact, but she did enjoy cuddling up to Kyra and just reveling in the feel of her beneath her fingers. Seems like everything she knew about herself was proving more false by the day and that the mere notion of tenderness didn't disgust her like she thought. She equated it to softness and the Eagle Bearer was anything but. Never in her wildest imagination would she have ever believed it possible to crave such intimate moments, but here she was. None before had earned such thoughts and none would ever again, these desires of domesticity were for Kyra and Kyra alone.

Speaking of Kyra...

_Where did you run off to?_

Unfurrowing herself from the comfort and warmth of her blanket, she sits up and extends her good arm out for as much of a stretch as she could handle. Her muscles were stiff and her other arm _still_ wasn't of much use to her. Any progress she felt at the end of the day was gone by morning and it was as frustrating as it was baffling. She had _never_ had this issue before. Ever. She just _always_ bounced back without much thought or effort, but now she couldn't get better even when she tried.

She's rested, hydrated, and done everything shy of being bedridden but still no positive progress. There was nothing else imaginable that she could think to do that she wasn't already. Was this how normal people felt? Because if it was, they could keep it. It was insufferable to do everything right and still go nowhere, but at least it was only her arm and not her leg. She'd just about die if she had to stay in bed for weeks on end. 

"Enough of that." Kassandra mutters to herself as she stands up, shaking the bad thoughts out of her mind. "I need to find Kyra before she gets herself into trouble."

She didn't worry too much about her appearance, just enough to make herself decent would do. It wasn't like she wore much anyway and her own clothing was difficult to do with only one arm. Her gear was more weighted than what Daphnae had given her so she found herself in unfamiliar clothes more often than not. Thankfully she wore next to nothing to begin with and had a built in tolerance to colder temperatures so a little went a long way. Clothing for her was more for social appearances than anything because she'd be happy in nothing, but that seems frowned upon for whatever reason. Satisfied that she was good enough, she made her way outside in search of Kyra.

Stepping out into the brisk morning air, Kassandra takes a precursory look around, but comes up empty handed. There were a few of the Daughters on patrol, but it was still too early for anyone to be up and active on a more regular basis. Most everyone would still be sound asleep for another couple hours at best, it was part of the reason Kassandra loved this time of day. It was like her own slice of serenity, preserved only for her. Sure, nothing was ever open, but it didn't matter. There was no curfew on nature or the sea.

She used to be used to waking at such a time to enjoy the unspoiled day, but her habits have been anything but usual lately. She's slept more in a month than she had in years and her daily routine had all but vanished. She hadn't exercised properly in ages so she felt more sluggish because of it. Maybe she would work in a run one of these days to just get a taste of normalcy she longed for. Well, maybe not a _run_ per say, but a walk or hike, just _something_ to get her up and moving again.

Kyra's disappearance gave a good enough excuse to stretch her legs as any and she opted to focus on the perimeter as a start. She would use Athena's sight to try to find her beyond the walls to save on time and, sure, it would make her tired, but it'd be worth it when she found Kyra safe and sound. She knew she had no real reason to be worried as Kyra could be a number of places, but she couldn't help it. Given what Kyra had been through, she hated having her out of her sight for long if she didn't know where she was. 

Perhaps it was selfish to always want to know her whereabouts, maybe even a little controlling, but Kassandra didn't really see it like that. If she knew where Kyra was, she could protect her. It was her duty to keep her from harm and she wanted nothing bad to ever happen to Kyra again. She would gladly take any hardship meant for Kyra if that meant she was safe and happy, she would do _anything_ for her. Kassandra knew she was a protector in a sense, but it had never been heightened to this level before and the deeper she got, the harder it was to see her suffer. 

"Time to find her." Kassandra says to herself as she begins her sweep, starting at the northern most entrance and working in a large circle.

It wasn't easy to discern one person from the next, but she trusted that she'd know Kyra when she felt her. The "sight" wasn't so much vision as it was a feeling. She'd never shared this with anyone before, not even Barnabas, because of how much this could change things. It was a fear she had deep down, but it would rise itself to the surface every now and again to remind her that she was keeping secrets. Her fear was that if people knew what she could do, _truly_ do, that they would only care for her because of what she could do, not who she was. 

It was irrational, she knew that, much like she knows that Kyra isn't in danger right now, but she had trust issues that didn't just go away overnight. Her past wasn't something she allowed to occupy her mind much, but when it did, it brought with it every repressed memory she's tried to bury for good. She had been abandoned and left for dead... that kind of thing doesn't just go away. She was-, no, _has_ been hunted almost her entire existence and it forever altered how she saw people. They were only tools as a means to an end, nothing more. If they knew nothing, they'd want nothing and she'd never have to worry about being left again. But, then came Barnabas, Daphnae, and a few others before her heart could no longer be called her own, resting finally with Kyra.

She had tried to shed some of the layers she'd built up over the years, but she was always, _always_ cautious to not do too much. Her abilities were always off the table and what they got to know was only what she let them. She didn't do deep discussions and she hadn't ever allowed for them to truly know who she was. Meeting Kyra though made her realize that maybe it wouldn't be so bad to get hurt again. To expose her true nature, who she really was... just maybe there would be someone who understood her pain and didn't pity her.

Kassandra knew the rest of them tried their best (especially Barnabas), but she could always tell there was more to what they said, what their eyes showed. They'd never tell her this, but she knew all the same. They pitied her from what they knew and the _one_ thing she refused to accept was pity. 

Even to those she didn't know, her name carried a weight to it and people knew her (knew the rumors more specifically) before they had ever even met her. They judged her on what they thought they knew and it always wound up being too close to home for comfort. 

It was invasive.

Her family's legacy seemed to be the topic of many discussions and it just became easier to agree with whatever was being said than to try to change the subject. They made assumptions and it became too tiring to try to correct them without revealing too much. As her own legacy grew along side it, it became harder to unblur the line of genuine versus fake. Her profession didn't help with this, but she needed the drachmae so that meant some compromise. They knew that she was "different," but they didn't know how. She looked strong, rugged, so they all assumed it was brute strength that made her renown and they never cared to look further. They would get what they wanted and she would be able to retreat away... but not with Kyra.

Kyra had earned the same start as everyone else by default, but she never just accepted the bare minimum Kassandra was wanting to give. It was like she could look beyond, like she could _see_ the shroud Kassandra had surrounded herself in and chose to walk in it anyway. It was the first time that Kassandra had ever given thought to unearthing some pieces of herself to a stranger. Although, now that she's thinking about it, Kyra had never actually been a stranger. From their first encounter to their last, Kassandra could always feel the difference and it felt like home. 

She never could have put the words (yet alone the thought) together before now, but Kyra had always been an exception to everything she knew. There was something about her that, even now, Kassandra couldn't properly describe, that made her just want to drop every wall and dig up every secret she held so dearly to her chest. Even at their worst, Kassandra had always known Kyra would never harm her like she had hurt her. It made her a hypocrite for being so caught up in "trust" that she could break Kyra's without much thought, but still, she always knew. Kyra had the ultimate power over her and Kassandra wasn't even sure Kyra had realized it.

Kyra had forced her to love like never before and there wasn't anything she could do to stop it from consuming her alive. Kyra was _everywhere_ within her, she was her life, her air, her blood. No matter how stubborn they tried to be to one another, it never dampened the hold Kyra had on her entire being. _Kyra_ was her anchor in the storm, even if she was the cause of the swells.

She was everything.

Kassandra hadn't intended to be so caught up in her mind like that, but having this time, this space, it allowed her some (much needed) reflection. Any time Kyra came to her mind (which was frequently if she was being truthful), she found herself diving into anything and everything. The good, the bad, the ugly, it all came in spurts and all of them involved Kyra and keeping her, maybe even forever...

However nice all this was, it didn't do her any favors in actually trying to locate Kyra. She had only been half paying attention and, at this rate, she'd have to circle back again just to double check. Where this would all not be a problem if she was healthy, her ability to multitask had been destroyed since she'd become sidelined. Her head was already pounding, but she was determined not to stop until she knew Kyra was safe. 

It wasn't until almost the end of her first full perimeter walk that she noticed an odd sensation from the cliffs above her. Kassandra didn't think it was any of the Daughters based off of how they were sitting (the very opposite of a patrol) and they didn't feel to be hostile.

_This has to be Kyra._

It was the only thing that made sense, but why she was all the way up there was a mystery. The sky was just beginning to glow, beautiful colors started to adorn the sky so it could've been for a sunrise watch, but that was just a guess. It honestly didn't matter why she chose this place, all that _did_ matter was confirming her suspicions that this was Kyra. Looking up, Kassandra could see a pair of legs dangling over the edge, but she couldn't see any discernible features. Her headache was straining and she was going to get a closer look anyway so it would be just as easy to preserve herself until she got up there. There was only one concern and that was how she was getting up there.

There had to be a path somewhere as Kyra surely didn't scale this, but just where was not something she knew. As much as she'd _love_ to just climb up the cliffside, it wasn't wise to do in her condition. She'd have to break her line of sight to go anywhere so, with only a minor reluctance, Kassandra turns away in search of a path. Thankfully, it was only a short distance from where she spotted Kyra to the pathway up.

Kassandra doesn't bother to mask her approach as she didn't want to startle her off the ledge, walking with more force than usual to crunch leaves and snap small twigs for the noise. Only once she's only a few paces away does she pause.

_Kyra._

Safe and sound just like she knew she had to be, but a burden had been lifted from her chest to see it for herself. Seeing Kyra for herself should have been good enough to turn around, but she didn't want to come all this way for her and not speak. It would be rude to just walk back down without even as much as a greeting of acknowledgment. Having decided that she would not leave empty handed, she tried to announce herself informally by making not lightening her footsteps, but Kyra hadn't seemed to notice her. It was plain to see that Kyra's mind was anywhere but in the present so small actions wouldn't yield her any results. Shifting to a slightly more aggressive stance, Kassandra purposely crushes a small pile of leaves to make an audible sound.

Kassandra watches as Kyra's head shifts _just_ so slightly her direction, telling Kassandra that she has her attention.

"Why aren't you sleeping?" Kassandra asks as she takes a few steps forward, still preserving Kyra's personal space.

It was the most basic (and obvious) question. Better to just get it out of the way so she could try to figure out what was going on in Kyra's head.

"I had too much on my mind."

Kassandra knew this to be true from just the short time she observed her. Something was weighing on her too it seemed and she didn't want Kyra to have to sort through it alone.

"Why did you leave?"

This was the question she _really_ wanted the answer to. She loved deep thoughts as much as the next, but she didn't always have to disappear for them to take hold.

"I didn't want to disturb you."

A sweet gesture, but an inaccurate one. "What bothers me more than you waking me is you feeling that you can't. If something is bothering you, I want to help. Your worries are not yours to share alone and I hate thinking you feel like that."

Moving to sit beside her, Kassandra wonders if she made Kyra feel like she couldn't talk to her? Had she done more damage to them than she thought? Her little "stunt" did her no favors, but she felt they had moved passed it enough.

"I'm sorry, I just wanted you to get sleep. I didn't mean to make you worried like that."

Mild deflection, but still a truthful response. It was sweet of Kyra to be concerned about her sleeping enough to go such lengths, but sleep held nothing to Kyra's peace of mind.

"I sleep better knowing you're beside me." A small confession of her earlier thoughts. "Waking to find you missing so early is not ideal, especially when more than a few minutes pass by."

Kyra looks apologetic and Kassandra feels even a little bad that she seems guilty about it. It wasn't _that_ big of a deal ultimately, just more personal.

"I just needed to clear my mind and I find I do it best away from-"

"Me?" Kassandra finishes Kyra's sentence with a morose implication.

"Everyone." Kyra finishes, not assuaging any of Kassandra's worries. "I am not doing this to escape you, I hope you know."

Tilting her head slightly, she looks onto Kyra with the softest eyes she can muster. "Promise?" 

She had to trust Kyra was telling her the truth and she could understand the desire to escape and get away. It is how she lived most of her life so if it was what Kyra needed, she'd respect that.

"Promise..." A small smirk adorns Kyra's face with a mischievous glint, "well, at least this time anyway. Can't say you won't ever be the reason I retreat to a cliff."

Kyra's playfulness has put her at ease and she can feel herself relaxing from the tension she had acquired from just a moment before.

"As long as you don't fall, I suppose I can live with that." Kassandra playfully responds back.

The soft and tenderness the silence brought after was a good kind of quiet. They didn't have to say anything, just being near one another was enough of a comfort. The orangey sky looked something out of a painting and Kassandra could see why Kyra chose this spot now. Even with the village beneath them, they were high enough that they didn't see it if they kept their eyes towards the beauty above them. It was nice, tranquil even, enough so that Kassandra couldn't keep herself from yawning. She had drained her energy and was now feeling the effects.

"Would you like to go back to bed?" Kyra asks her.

Yes, yes she would, but she also didn't want to leave whatever it was they had here right now. She's started the day exhausted before and she'd do it again, only this time it would be worth it.

"No, I'm fiiiii-." Kassandra gets caught in a yawn as she tries to answer.

"You don't sound 'fiiiii' to me." Kyra teases her, a soft smirk replacing the playful one only moments ago.

She was being teased. She comes out here to comfort Kyra and now she was at her mercy. Of course she _knew_ Kyra was just messing with her, she also had a flair for the dramatics and two could play whatever this little game was. Deciding to be just a _tiny_ bit extra, she pouts. It works too because, not even a moment later, she feels Kyra's hand upon her own.

"I would like to go back to bed. Will you come with me?" Kyra asks her, shifting the conversation ever so slightly. 

She hadn't expected Kyra to want to leave, but this was a pleasant surprise (and not an unwanted one either). She's not sure what compels her to do this, but she just wanted Kyra's comfort so she leans against her shoulder, her head resting comfortably. 

"Mhm." A sigh of content escapes her as she takes a deep breath, her senses fill with everything Kyra. "You could use the sleep, you've got a big day ahead of you."

Kassandra hadn't thought too much about what Daphnae had asked of Kyra, but she knew it was gnawing at her regardless. The one thing about Kyra that she had grown to learn is that she allows things to get under her skin far too easily  
Everything just becomes more personal than it has to in her opinion, but that's part of what makes Kyra so passionate. She invested every part of herself and it was what made her such a good leader, but it also came at a great expense. Whether Kyra knew this about herself or not, Kassandra did and she wanted to show her support.

Kassandra reluctantly lifted her head from Kyra's shoulder, allowing her to stand up and offer her a hand. Kassandra accepted the gesture and the two walked back down the same path she had taken up, both of them falling into a rhythmic cadence as their steps sounded the tune of nature. It didn't take them long at all to get to their destination and, as soon as they entered back in their hut, Kassandra wasted no time reacquainting herself with her bed. She didn't even try to hide how good it felt.

"And here I was thinking you weren't tired..." Kyra teases behind her, watching in amusement.

"I'm not." Kassandra lies blatantly as she nestles down a little deeper to prove her point. "It missed me and I am trying to apologize for leaving it."

Kyra only watches her, with a pleasing smile no less, and just keeps a honed focus to her. Kassandra doesn't mind the attention, but she can see from Kyra's eyes that they're lost in thought again. She doesn't seem conflicted, like up at the cliff, but Kassandra couldn't _quite_ place what she was seeing either. 

As much as she wanted to keep this going, she felt herself fading, her body fighting the urge to get the rest she desperately needed. Kyra hadn't seemed to notice at all, prompting Kassandra to bring it up.

"You're looking at me funny."

"I was just thinking if I should leave and give the two of you some privacy is all."

_Of course you were..._

Kassandra didn't believe it for even a second, but if Kyra wanted to tell her the truth, she would do it in her own time. So, for now, she would keep the tone, play along, and take the answer at face value.

"I don't mind an audience."

Kyra's eyes went wide at her comment, a hard swallow following it, and Kassandra tucked that useful bit of information away for another time. They'd never talked much about sex, choosing to enjoy it as it came, but that didn't mean she hadn't secretly thought about it. There are so many things she wanted to do to Kyra... just thinking about it was getting her worked up, but she couldn't, not now. She had to stick to what she said and hold strong. They needed this step before they tried again so any unsavory thoughts had to be kept at bay, no matter how much she was kicking herself for it.

"That's uh... good to know." Kyra tries to recover, but Kassandra knew she was getting as worked up as she was. "Who knew you were so adventurous."

"There's a lot you don't know about me. I am very mysterious and reclusive." A massive understatement to say the least, but truthful nonetheless.

"Of course you are." Kyra agreed.

"There isn't anything you learn or see that I don't want you to." Again, another heavy truth, but Kyra doesn't seem to get the seriousness to her statement. 

"It is amazing you don't have the ability to see through walls because then you'd _really_ have everything."

If there ever was a sign from the gods, this was it. She had been questioning whether or not to tell Kyra the truth and here she was, presented with the perfect opportunity. She had never known how to bring it up naturally, but it seems that Kyra did the work for her. This was her chance to tell the truth, to trust Kyra with a secret she never intended to reveal. She had to. No, she _needed_ to.

"Jokes on you because I _can_."

"You absolutely cannot." Kyra dismisses the notion immediately.

"Wanna bet?" Kassandra challenges, feeling more awake by the moment.

"Hmm." Kyra ponders out loud. "What would be the stakes?"

What did she feel like making Kyra lose? Obviously nothing serious as she had an unfair advantage here, but there was one thing that came to mind, something she secretly enjoyed. "How about if I win, you have to braid my hair whenever I ask."

"Hair braiding?" Kyra repeats the wager back to her confused. "Wow, you're setting the bar incredibly high. Why would you want me to do that? Your braid is so much nicer when you do it."

_Confession time._

"I just really enjoy you playing with my hair." A warmth spreads across her cheeks as she says it out loud. "That, and I know you're going to lose so I'm trying to be nice. If I go too big at first, you'll never want to bet me again."

"That..." Kyra trails off mid sentence, "...surprisingly makes a lot of sense."

"You say that like I _don't_ ever have good ideas." Kassandra chuckles, adjusting herself to a seated position. "I am smarter than you give me credit for."

"Oh, Kassandra, I have no doubts whatsoever in your intelligence." Kyra assures. "That said, I know you can be influenced and I think your tiredness is making you a little delirious."

"That mean you're backing out?" Kassandra challenges, knowing full well that her implying this would have the desired effect.

"Not a chance." Kyra answers with foolish confidence.

Kassandra allows Kyra the time to think of a counter bet, knowing full well that she'd win no matter what so it didn't truly matter, but she wasn't going to be a poor sport about it.

"If I win, I want a favor."

"What kind of favor?" Kassandra asks intrigued.

"I don't know yet, but it will be of moderate importance."

It was not a bad wager if this was something she actually could've won. "I feel you're putting a lot of thought into this."

"Of course! I never take less when I can get more. I would be a terrible leader without it."

"I don't think you could ever be terrible at anything even if you tried."

"So, do we have a deal?"

"You're on."

The pounding in her head, however, was telling her to rethink this, but her pride was far stronger and she wasn't about to lose this.

"How are we going to do this?" Kyra asks. "I can go outside and pose and you can tell me what I look like."

"Yeah, that should work." Kassandra agrees with a smile. 

"How do I know you're not able to see through the straw?"

_If you only knew..._

"You can cover my eyes with something, I can do it without them open."

Kyra skims the room until she lands on a folded pile of clothes belonging to one of the scouts. "Ok, give me just a moment..." She walks over to pick up one of the garments, returning back to Kassandra only to drape it over her head. "There, that's better."

"I promise not to move it. I'll even sit on my hand." Kassandra flexes it in front of her before she sits on it.

"You don't have to do that, I trust you. Now count to ten and I'll hold still."

Kassandra keeps her hand there anyway as irrefutable proof that she didn't cheat, but she could have easily lifted whatever was on her head to peek before sitting back on it. Not the beacon of trust she was going for so she'd just have to impress Kyra enough that it wouldn't have mattered anyway.

Kassandra counts only to ten because she knew the moment her head got covered that she had left to go outside. Her hearing was also exceptional, but that was a conversation for another time. 

One big reveal at a time.

Not wanting Kyra to hold her pose any longer than necessary, she actives her Sight and Kyra's shape forms to her left, both arms extended. 

"You're standing to my left with your arms outstretched." 

And, because she knows Kyra, she also knows that she would have to do this again to show it wasn't just a lucky guess.

"Because I know you and I know what you're about to say, I'll count to ten again and you can do a second one."

Kassandra continues the count again, "Four, five, six...", before reaching ten again. The throbbing starts to become intolerable, but she pushes through it for another go, sensing Kyra behind her.

"You either got cut in half or you're bending over. Oh, and you're near the back of me."

She actives her Sight again right after to boast just a bit, paying more attention to what was behind her to focus the expansion in that general direction. She can tell Kyra's limbs are now above her (most likely a stretch) and she can see the outline of two other figures moving closer to where Kyra was standing.

"Now you're stretching." Kassandra starts before Kyra interrupts her before she can finish.

"There's still a chance this is just a giant coincidence." Kyra protests. "You just are really lucky."

"Is it luck when I tell you that you're not the only one outside?" Kassandra finished her initial train of thought. "You've got two figures about to pass you by."

"There isn't anyone-," Kyra starts, but the words die on her tongue as the figures she had foretold must've walked by.

Kassandra waits patiently for Kyra to say something, to ask her to prove it yet again, but all she hears is hurried footsteps and a sudden presence before her.

Oh yeah, she was gonna gloat.

"You feel that?" Kassandra asks in all seriousness.

"No?" Kyra answers confused.

"Oh, sorry, that must just be the feel of winning and you wouldn't know what that was like." She didn't have to see to know Kyra wouldn't take that jab too kindly.

"Humble much?" Kyra scoffs at her gloat.

"Me? Not even a little."

"You just went straight to gloating, didn't even take a detour to being decent about this."

"Why pretend when we both know I'm the best?"

Kassandra knew she was laying it on a bit thick, but there weren't many moments when she was able to say she bested Kyra.

"Oh, was that what this was about?"

"No, but it is a bonus."

"I want a rematch." Kyra demands as she removes the covering over her head. "Not now, but soon."

"Done. I can handle anything." Kassandra grins as she lays back down, liking her odds at getting a two time win streak. "I just will hate beating you twice in a row."

"First off," Kyra counters, "you wouldn't hate it and we _both_ know that. Secondly, I am going to kick your ass so hard that you won't be able to sit without thinking of me."

"That sounds win-win to me."

Kassandra sees the fluster on Kyra's cheeks for only a second before she spins the conversation back around.

Kyra takes a seat on her bed too before getting in a final jab. "Weren't you tired? Just shut up and go to sleep."

It makes her laugh, but she keeps it to herself knowing it would ruffle up Kyra's feathers. "I was fine, you were the one who wanted to come back. Besides, I know you're dying of curiosity and must have tons of questions."

"I can't do that with you talking now, can I?" Kyra scolds her in the most docile way possible. "And I do have questions, but I don't want to ask them while you're being insufferable."

"Someone's grumpy." Kassandra teases highly amused.

"I'm always grumpy, you're just now figuring it out."

"You're only grumpy when you get stressed." Kassandra counters, knowing full well what Kyra's habits are.

"Which is me _all_ the time."

"Are you stressed now?" Kassandra asks in all seriousness, wanting to know the truth to what she was feeling.

"I would be lying if I said I wasn't."

"Are you really worried about this? It really isn't as big of a deal as it is being made out to be."

"Sort of?" Kyra answers her. "I just know everyone is going to be watching me, rooting for me to fail. Whatever Daphnae has planned, I know it is to prove she's better than me."

There would be no easy way to see that they all weren't rooting for her failure, but she knows that showing her the flaws in her thinking wouldn't help the situation. What Kassandra needed to do was not show why everyone else didn't hate her, but why she herself was behind her. 

"Not everyone is rooting for you to fail."

"I'm sure Eliana isn't, but the rest of them are. There is no love lost between us."

_Ouch._

Kassandra hadn't even thought about Eliana, but if that's why Kyra's first thought was, she had a lot of ground to cover.

"I, uh-, I meant me." There was no way around the awkward that had just inserted itself. "I am not rooting against you."

"Oh."

"Oh? What do you mean 'oh'?" She didn't like that sound of that, not one bit. It was almost like Kyra was _surprised_ to know she was on her side.

"It's just hard to see you siding with me over her is all. It isn't like you have a habit of backing me up with her."

_Double ouch._

Kassandra should've seen this coming because, well, Kyra was right. She _hadn't_ been taking Kyra's side in any way so it wasn't a hard conclusion for Kyra to jump to. She'd just been so caught up with Daphnae and their history that she overlooked how it appeared to Kyra. She had never intended to be so malicious or indignant towards her, but her past had a terrible way of turning her into a monster. All she could offer was excuses to her behavior, but Kyra was better deserving than that. Kassandra couldn't change what she had done, but she could try to patch it up for the future. 

"You're right, I'm sorry." Kassandra offers her the sincerest apology she could muster. "I didn't know that's what I was doing, but it doesn't excuse that I did it."

She can see the surprise of her answer on Kyra's face and, while she's glad this is turning favorably, she is still disappointed in herself.

"Wow- uh, I guess I didn't expect that just now."

"I haven't been a good friend to you and I am trying to make it right. The fact that you're surprised I'm saying this stuff doesn't look good for me."

"You're being too hard on yourself. You were trying to see both sides because you _do_ have a connection with Daphnae, for better or worse." Kyra was trying to assuage some of her guilt, but it was her burden she had to bear. 

"Can you forgive me?"

It was all she could ask and she didn't even deserve it. She had not treated Kyra well at all and getting her blessing on her poor behavior didn't excuse that she did it.

"That depends..."

"On?"

She'd do anything.

"If I can come over to your side and warm up." _Oh._ Kyra was letting her off easy, so very easy. "I'm cold and you're always so hot." Kassandra looks mischievously at her on instinct courtesy of the word choice, earning her an eye roll. "Not like that."

"I am pretty hot, aren't I?" Kassandra agrees, purposely skewing the meaning Kyra had intended. "But yeah, I suppose I can be generous and share some of my heat with you."

Kyra moved to her faster than a blink and ended up sitting next to her before she knew it.

"Scooch over." Kyra ordered as she got herself comfortable, leeching Kassandra's hard earned warmth.

"So pushy." Kassandra protests as she obliges, giving Kyra as much space as she could afford. "You'll just have to hold on to me tight, wouldn't want you to fall."

"You're so considerate."

Kyra accepted the invitation and nuzzled herself in Kassandra's embrace. Even though Kyra wasn't lying and was absolutely freezing, Kassandra had no mind in the world to move away. She had missed this embrace and now, by sheer luck, she had it again. Kyra had initiated it so who was she to say no? The intentions behind it were pure so she would just accept them for that. She had half expected a further comment, but, when she glanced down, she saw Kyra fast asleep.

Kyra looked so peaceful, it was a vision she wanted to etch in her memory for the rest of her life. She would have no worries when she was in Kassandra's embrace, here was a safe space for her to just let the burdens of the world melt away. She always wanted to be the pillar of strength for Kyra, but strength could come in many forms. Just being someone she could depend upon needed to be something she strived for. She wanted to be everything that Kyra needed, but, for now, she'd settle with being in the moment. Her own fatigue taking an advantageous grab, Kassandra follows suit and they both sleep peacefully.

Kassandra awoke first, the light shining bright as it seeped through the cracks. She couldn't have slept for more than two hours, but she felt _good_. Unfortunately, it also meant that Kyra needed to be up and Kassandra knew from her breathing that she was still fast asleep. Not wanting to jostle her, Kassandra takes to tracing absentminded patterns on her back. It stirs Kyra awake, her hand dragging from its home on Kassandra's waist to shield her eyes from the brightness of the day.

"You're going to be late if you don't hurry." Kassandra speaks softly as she continues her motions, not wanting to stop.

"You're too comfortable." Kyra groans.

"I don't know if that's a compliment or if you're telling me I need to exercise."

"You're muscles are sculpted from marble, you don't have to lift a finger and you'll be the fittest person known to man."

"How can I be marble _and_ be comfortable? That doesn't seem right."

"I cannot handle your mouth right now." Kyra shifts the hand blocking the light from her face to its new spot upon Kassandra's nose. "Shhhh."

In what was a failed attempt to cover her mouth, Kassandra couldn't help but laugh. It was a precious moment and it was one she was grateful to have experienced. 

Nudging her hand down to the correct place above her mouth, she places a soft kiss upon Kyra's palm. "Come now, we have to get you ready."

"Fine!" Kyra relents, flopping away from Kassandra to her back. "But I'm not happy about it."

"You poor baby." Kassandra coos as she sits herself upright. "I'll make it up to you later."

"You drive a hard bargain, but I accept your terms."

Kassandra knew she'd have to make the first move here so she wills herself to stand, only feeling slightly lightheaded as she does it. Thankfully, it didn't show and she felt better seconds later so she was able to offer a hand to Kyra. "Want a hand?"

Kyra accepts it and the two of them get ready together. Kyra helps her with practically everything and she offers what she can back. It was very domestic feelings, but Kassandra didn't mind it one bit, in fact, she quite enjoyed it. She had even talked Kyra into wearing the outfit provided by Daphnae knowing Kyra's chiton was tattered and in desperate need to be burned. She knew the added mobility of a multi piece ensemble made a difference so it was an easy encouragement for her to give. Plus, it didn't hurt that Kyra would be showing off more skin.

"Doesn't your stomach get cold like this? It doesn't seem practical." Kyra complains as she tugs down the top piece.

"As someone who proudly displays her stomach at all times, it makes a difference. I have worn full suits for battle and I've had only my underwear on and less can be more."

"I guess I still don't understand, but I'll have to trust that you know what you're talking about."

"The less you wear, the less likely you are to be caught on branches or bushes. In this kind of terrain it is easy to rip your clothes so by having less to start with, you can reduce the damage it takes."

"Is this a fact?"

"I don't know if it is a fact, but it is common sense and I know you're a big fan of that." Kassandra says, knowing that was one way to get Kyra to agree to something. "And, it makes you look amazing."

"So you're saying this could all be some big ploy to see me with less clothing?" Kyra playful teased her, but little did she know there were some merits of truth to it.

Kassandra was feeling emboldened all of sudden, she hadn't intended to have this be so... _charged_ , but she couldn't help it. She walks up behind where Kyra was standing and drops her voice to just above a whisper.

"I think we both know I wouldn't have to go through all this trouble if that's what I wanted."

Her words had the desired reaction and, with her hand now on Kyra's arm, she could feel the goosebumps rise beneath her fingertips. She was walking a very, _very_ thin line here and all it would take is the smallest affirmation from Kyra to spiral them into what they knew best. Luckily for her though, Kyra seemed to still have her mind about her and took a step away, breaking the contact.

"What do you think this contest will make up of?"

"I don't know for certain, but I'd say accuracy and adaptability. How good you can work under pressure and all that."

"But if that's what we're doing, I don't know why you're competing too. You couldn't hold a bow to save your life, it wouldn't be fair."

"First of all, that's rude." Kassandra chastises her for the jab. "Secondly, I could _totally_ handle a bow."

Kassandra was _so_ full of shit and she could see that Kyra had the exact same sentiment. No words were needed because she knew Kyra was calling her on such a blatant statement and she just needed to admit the truth.

"Ok, maybe I _can't_ , but I should be. I've never taken this long before to heal for something like this."

"How long is normal for you for something like this?"

"Maybe a few days? Six or seven at the most."

"We've been here for longer than that, easily."

"I know, but I don't seem to be getting any better." Kassandra admits, working up the nerve to share her fears with Kyra. "Something is wrong with me, but I don't know what or why. I still can't summon Ikaros and I wasn't actually sure I could still see beyond the walls until I just did it. The range is too short and it gives me a small headache after I do it."

"Why did you do more if it hurt you?!"

"Because it was nice to feel normal again." Kassandra looks at her with a deep pain, her eyes betraying her. "I feel like a stranger in my own skin and I don't know how to make it better. I just feel... wrong."

"Oh Kassandra..." 

There it was, the _pity_ , Kyra was doing it to her too. She had half a mind to pull back, but Kyra held her tightly, clinging onto her like she would float away if she eased up even a little.

"You're still you, abilities or not. They don't define you, only you can do that."

This... this wasn't what she was expecting. Kyra's words weren't an apology for Kassandra's hardships, but ones of encouragement and support. She had been bracing herself for the worst case scenario the moment her name left Kyra's lips like that, but none of this was going how she expected. Perhaps she could trust Kyra like she'd always wanted to and, just maybe, she would find someone who could understand her.

"But what if they don't ever come back? What if I can no longer be great?"

Kyra pulled away from her just a little so she could cup her cheeks, pulling her closer for a tender kiss on the forehead before resting her own against Kassandra's brow. "You will always be great, Kassandra, your powers only made you greater. The Eagle Bearer is _you_ , your victories, yours, no power can take that away. They do not define who you are, you do."

"What if I'm no good?" Kassandra confesses, her voice laced with sadness. "What if I can't be me without them?"

"Then we'll find out who the new you is."

Kassandra hadn't wanted to assume anything from Kyra in fear of rejection, but she was feeling particularly vulnerable right now so if she was going to get hurt, she'd rather it be now. 

"As in together?"

Kyra doesn't even miss a beat before she answers her, putting Kassandra's doubts to rest. "Together."

The air between them sparked something new, something different. Kassandra had _never_ felt this sense of trust, of security before. It was rather overwhelming, but she didn't want it to stop. This, this _connection_ the two of them shared was something that words couldn't hope to describe or explain. 

She moved her hand up behind Kyra's head to keep them tethered, locking them into place where not even the air could pass between them. "I don't want this moment to end. I only feel safe when I'm with you."

"There is nowhere you'd go that I would not follow."

"I really want to kiss you." Kassandra hadn't meant to say this, but she couldn't take it back now that it was out in the open.

"Friends don't kiss and that's what we are, remember?" Kyra's voice tender with her denial. "We have to give this a proper chance."

"You're right, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done this." 

Kassandra felt like a fool for saying that when she was the one telling Kyra they shouldn't. _She_ had been the one pushing this so hard, but she'd now tried to break it twice! 

"You've done nothing wrong, please know this." Kyra tries to soothe her bruised ego. "It isn't like I don't want to kiss you either, but this is important to you, so it's important to me too."

Well, it was good to know that Kyra was struggling with this too, that she was not alone in this desire. Kyra was right though, just like she was earlier.

"Who knew it would be so hard to resist you?" Kassandra plays it off less serious, even if her feelings had been hurt inadvertently.

"I could've told you that." Kyra goes along with it to lighten up the mood. "I _am_ akin to a siren."

"A siren?" Kassandra arches a brow quizzically. "That makes so much sense."

"I will release you from my enchanting song for now, but I cannot promise you won't come crawling back."

"How generous of you." Kassandra smiles, the two of them breaking their respective holds to step away from one another.

"I believe you and I are needed elsewhere." Kyra nods towards the entrance. "So what do you say? You ready to watch me wipe the floor?"

"I would love nothing more."

Kassandra takes hold of her hand and offers a squeeze for wordless encouragement. Kyra interlocks their fingers and shows no sign of letting go. It was a sweet gesture given what had just transpired and Kassandra was more than fine with keeping the connection. It wasn't the kiss she had craved, but it was a touch she desired.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This also wasn't proofread so if there are mistakes, that's my bad


	18. The Purge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my loves!
> 
> Welcome back for the latest and greatest for our girls and boy oh boy are you all in for a treat. I have decided to speed things up so you're going to be getting some answers to some questions you may all have had. Will this cover everything? No, but it is a start and we've all gotta start somewhere. Kassandra has her metaphorical dukes up this chapter and it is a ride.
> 
> Hope you all enjoy!
> 
> Within Temptation - The Purge  
> https://youtu.be/NZkUtDqhH78

_Not again._  
  
Her day had been going splendidly for the first time in what feels like an eternity and she had gotten so lost in Kyra's pull that she momentarily forgot the ailments that plagued her. She and Kyra had gotten something to eat (as it was shaping up to be a busy day) and she took the medicine the healer had concocted to help with some unseen injuries she may have sustained within herself. She was willing to try just about anything to get better, but _nothing_ seemed to be working.  
  
Any step forward she made would be gone the next day and the cycle would continue. There was only so much rope left and she felt herself losing her grip, sliding ever towards an inevitable punishment she had to have earned. She kept hope (more for Kyra's sake than her own), but she had to have some anchor or she's not sure she could keep this up. As much as she tried to push past whatever was holding her back mentally, it was clear that just wishing it to get better wouldn't _actually_ make it so. She was virtually out of options and she was running out of idea of her own.  
  
Their healer was trying, but this wasn't working quite as they'd all hoped. She'd be stupid to believe it would be cured overnight so she took the disgusting drink mixture for Daphnae, to get better. Daphnae had requested this in an attempt to help her heal and Kassandra knew what it meant to her to have her follow through with it so she obliged, one grueling sip at a time. It always killed her appetite, but she was told this was normal for the herbs that were inside. It made her feel frail, something she was most certainly _not_ familiar with. Her energy gained from a goods nights sleep was gone, but again, she was told this was all part of the course.  
  
There was some nonsense about "getting worse before getting better," but she had failed to reap any of the "better" benefits thus far. It was infuriating and discouraging, but she'd suck it up and keep quiet until it got really bad. She's had a couple of close calls, but she's managed to keep her head. She'll get lightheaded if she stands too quickly and her legs have buckled on her a couple times as of late. Thankfully she was always near something she could catch herself on, but her luck wouldn't always be as such. She knows she should tell Kyra, even Daphnae, but she doesn't want to be seen as a burden and she doesn't want to be coddled again.  
  
It went against everything she stood for to be at such a state of vulnerability, her pride couldn't keep taking these hits. She was the _Eagle Bearer_ and she was fully capable of taking care of this on her own. But those lies she kept telling herself weren't getting any easier to believe, not even a little.  
  
Why was it so hard for her to ask for help?  
  
She shields this from Kyra, but she's not even sure why. At first, it was so she wouldn't be worried over nothing, but now it may just be because she's afraid that it might _not_ be nothing. If this was something more serious, more severe, what could it mean of them? For her? Would she drag Kyra down with her while her body fails? Could she sap the life from an already fractured soul just to be selfish for companionship?  
  
Kassandra clenches her fist in pain, her body rebelling against her. Teeth clenching, she tries her damndest to keep it from showing on her face. These pain surges come like waves from the tide, coming just to make an imprint on the sand, only to retreat leaving nothing but a shadow of its presence. It is enough to take her breath away, but she keeps a calm demeanor as she struggles to regulate back to normal.  
  
_It will go away. It always does._  
  
She dares not move a muscle, but they had places to be so she couldn't delay them forever. Kyra (thankfully) seemed to not be paying her much attention and she would just have to deal with it. She could tell Kyra to go without her, but that probably wouldn't sit too well and it would be less painful for her to just go as is. Her stomach churns at just the thought of moving, but she would keep strong like she always did.  
  
Keeping her hand hovering over her mouth (just in case), she gets Kyra's attention at the table where they were finishing up. "We need to get going, we're already late."  
  
"Her time isn't more valuable than mine and it wouldn't kill her to get knocked down a peg."  
  
The snark was _heavy_. Kassandra knew then that this wouldn't be as easy as she hoped, but that's on her for thinking they could be amicable. She was already so, _so_ tired... she didn't need them at each other's throats to make it worse.  
  
"Please just try to get along, I know you don't want this, but we really don't have much choice here."  
  
"We always have a choice." Kyra responds with conviction. "I'm just tired of mine never mattering."  
  
Kassandra could sense the shift in the air between them and she wasn't quite sure how to feel about it. This version of Kyra seemed so staunchly different than the one she walked in with. Something had changed, but she wasn't sure what or if it even was such a bad thing. Perhaps she had been too occupied with her own struggles this morning that she failed to see the signs. Kyra wasn't someone who settled for anything so if something was bothering her, there was always a reason.  
  
"Where is this coming from?" Kassandra asks in the most non-accusatory tone possible. She genuinely just wanted to know, she had no intention of starting anything.  
  
"It doesn't matter."  
  
"But it does..."  
  
Kyra looks at her, her expression unreadable, before she turns to look away. "Just let it go."  
  
That's the _opposite_ of what she wanted to do, but now was not the time nor the place. It was clear Kyra was anxious over what Daphnae had wanted so she didn't want to make a fight out of something she probably didn't even mean. She _also_ wasn't feeling up to much herself so she'd just file this away for later.  
  
Kyra doesn't allow her much of a response time before she stands up, pushing away from the table. It wasn't like Kassandra was even _going_ to say anything, but it was clear Kyra wasn't waiting. Grateful for Kyra's apparent leading, she allows herself an extra moment to stand and get situated before she walks to catch up. She would keep the distance as Kyra would've slowed if she wanted her by her side and, maybe even more prominent, but it also gave her some leeway in how she handled herself.  
  
Kyra keeps a steady pace (much to Kassandra's dismay), but she is able to catch up once they near Daphnae's hut. Kyra had paused her steps, knowing without even looking that she hadn't kept up, so that they'd be together when facing her. Maybe it was for comfort or support, but Kassandra recognized that Kyra had needed her in this moment and it made her glad she didn't send her away to do this alone.  
  
She walked to stand next to her and she allows her hand to brush against Kyra's, taking a few of her fingers in her hand delicately. It wasn't a grand gesture of support, but it was just something to show Kyra she was still by her side here. That she hadn't changed her tune and that she was serious about being more supportive. Kyra doesn't say anything in response, only staring ahead, but Kassandra can feel her relax a bit.  
  
Something so simple as a touch makes all the difference.  
  
The moment Daphnae makes her presence knows, their connection is severed and Kyra's posture turns into a rigidity she had seen only when dealing with more hostile associates.  
  
"You're late."  
  
Daphnae _clearly_ woke up in a piss poor mood too from her tone. It was cold and detached, it was one she had only heard herself on one occasion. It wasn't a good time then and it wasn't a good time now.  
  
"Where were you?"  
  
Kyra doesn't take the bait, keeping her answers cool and calculated. "I'm here now. Where do you want me to start?"  
  
Kassandra knows she's not the focus here so she uses this opportunity to observe as best she can. They're both so focused on one another that she has a free reign to stare unabashedly. Daphnae's brows furrowed in an annoyance while Kyra's is staunch with defiance. The power struggle the two of them clash with, it rages in their eyes when words cannot meet the challenge. Their unrivaled tension on full display to the trained eye, but their faces making the true fury to their emotions. They were sizing one another up, searching for flaws and weakness to exploit. It is what made them good leaders. They found what the needed to and they would do it without hesitation.  
  
Seemingly finding what she needed, Daphnae's face softens ever slightly. "We will start with the basics and work from there. Go and speak with Eliana and she'll get you started."  
  
_Sounds simple enough._  
  
For as bad as she was expecting this to go, it didn't seem like it would be the destructive explosion she'd been prepping for. Daphnae's request seemed straightforward enough and, given how Kyra outsmarted Helen and twisted her words, the directions were far more simplistic, but in a way that they couldn't be misconstrued. It seemed to settle what Kyra had been worried about, probably because of _her_ , but it would be fine.  
  
She wasn't jealous, not at all.  
  
That _didn't_ mean that she wasn't going to try to tag along... just in case, of course.  
  
"What will I do?" She chimes in, getting both of their attention.  
  
"You will come with me as we have other matters to attend to." Daphnae responds much to her dismay. "Plus, you don't look like you're in any condition to train."  
  
_Malaka._  
  
She had _thought_ it had been going well enough as Kyra hadn't said anything, but she clearly was wrong with that. Daphnae was looking at her with the same concern that she did not too long ago when she was bedridden. It was sympathetic, bordering the line to pity by inches. And, as luck would have it, Kyra now seemed to be mirroring Daphnae's reaction.  
  
"I'm fine." Kassandra lied boldly.  
  
"The answer is no."  
  
Daphnae's shut down was quick and swift. She left no room for any doubts and _certainly_ no room for any discussion on the subject further. It was moments like this that she wished outbursts weren't considered childish because she _needs_ to do something. If she had to be bedridden again, she was going to launch herself off a cliff and let Poseidon have her finally.  
  
Kassandra knew she was outnumbered here and she still felt like shit so she would take the "no" for now. Still, she wishes she could have a few minutes to explain what's going on to Kyra. She can see the genuine concern at her poor appearance and she didn't want her to worry. It _would_ be fine, maybe, she just needed to talk to her. She wanted to explain so, as Kyra starts to walk away, she reaches out to halt her.  
  
Kyra allows herself to be stopped, but once their eyes meet, Kassandra find she cannot go through with it. She _can't_ worry her with her problems when she has her own. She had whatever Eliana and Daphnae had set up for her and who even knew how brutal that would be. As much as she thought she knew Daphnae, she wouldn't put it past her to try to embarrass Kyra for postures sake. She desperately wanted to go with her to show her support, but she would realistically just make it worse. If she got worse, Kyra wouldn't be focused and she could end up hurting herself. She couldn't allow that.  
  
Kyra places her hand on hers and gives it a light squeeze. "I'll be careful."  
  
It wasn't _quite_ as good as being there to see it for herself, but it would be the best reassurance she could get. Still, she finds herself unwilling to let go, finding comfort in the touch.  
  
The seconds melt away and she holds on until the very last one she can have with Kyra, missing the feel as soon as she lets go. Kyra's touch radiated a warmth like no other and, come to think of it, her whole body felt like it was on fire.  
  
_Oh no._  
  
A searing pain hits her in the abdomen, reminding her of the stabbing sensation she found herself on the receiving end of not too long ago. Her head begins to feel murky, hazy and it suddenly got a bit too bright out.   
  
"Are you well?" Daphnae asks her with genuine concern. "You look pale."  
  
Last thing she needs is Daphnae favoring her again like she did because, as much that's passed between them, she knows Daphnae would make a bigger deal than it needed to be. She needed to lie and, worst of all, she needed to do it and hope Kyra didn't call her on it. She was going with the first thing that popped into her head and it was _ridiculously_ outlandish, but believable to anyone but Kyra.  
  
"I think I overdid it on my run this morning. I'll be fine, just need to sit down."  
  
Kassandra sneaks a quick side glance to Kyra and notes the surprise in her eyes at the outright lie. Kyra reels it in after the second or two it took her to process, her face falling neutral once more.  
  
"You shouldn't strain yourself like that or you'll never get better." Daphnae scolds her like one would a child. "I've told you to take it easy."  
  
"You know me," she smiles through her discomfort, "I never listen."  
  
Daphnae (seemingly accepting of this answer), shifts back to Kyra with an annoyed glance. "Aren't you supposed to be somewhere?"  
  
"You got it." Kyra takes a hand and touches two fingers to the temple of her forehead in a mock salute.  
  
Before she walked away, Kyra shared a parting look filled with questions with her, a promise of a future conversation lingering. Kassandra hadn't made it easy for her (not that she ever has truthfully), and her lie just now had probably made it worse that it needed to be.  
  
"Kassandra?" Daphnae's voice cuts in her inner dilemma. "Did you hear me?"  
  
"Hmm?" She responds absentmindedly.  
  
"I _said_ I'm worried about you." Daphnae repeats herself. "This looks like more than exhaustion."  
  
"I just pushed myself too hard is all." Kassandra keeps with the lie. "I'm tired of being treated like I'm a burden."  
  
So maybe that last part wasn't a lie, but the best lies stem from a branch of the truth. She _did_ hate feeling like that, it just wasn't quite how she got there.  
  
"You know that's not how I see you." Daphnae reassures. "I know who you are."  
  
"No. No you don't, actually. You don't know anything about me anymore. You have no idea!"  
  
Kassandra hadn't meant to just go off like that, but her frustrations just seemed to take hold of her and she snaps.  
  
"Shh!" Daphnae hushes immediately. "Keep your voice down."  
  
"Why? What are you going to do?" Kassandra flairs her arm up and to the side. "Send me to bed without supper? Take away my toys for misbehaving?"  
  
She takes Kassandra by the wrist and all but drags her into a more secluded area. "What has gotten into you? You're acting erratic and you're causing a scene so keep your voice down." Daphnae warns, her tone gravely serious.  
  
"You're not going to do anything to me and you know it." Kassandra challenges, completely throwing any sanity to the wind. Her mind not longer holding to social constraints and, instead, was hell-bent on breaking them. "You're still stuck in who we used to be and you're still trying to make up for the fact that you destroyed us."  
  
Daphnae steps back like she had just been burnt, her body stiffening. The harsh truth to Kassandra's words were ringing around them like looming melody that had only one end.  
  
"You... you..." Kassandra's vision began to blur, her head pounding like it had become war drums rallying the troops.  
  
Her hand cannot decide whether it wants to press against her temple or it wants to cover her eyes. She just wants _something_ to get better, but she's only making it worse.  
  
"You need to get it together. Now." Daphnae speaks to her firmly. "We have places to be and I cannot have you doing whatever _this_ is."  
  
"Fuck off." Kassandra winces, deciding to press against her temple to help ease the tension.  
  
"No, I don't think I will because as much as you're being an asshole right now, I know this isn't you. Something _is_ wrong and you're going to tell me what."  
  
"I told you alr-"  
  
"Stop. Just stop." Daphnae interrupts her. "Do us both a favor and just stop."  
  
Kassandra had gotten herself into this disastrous mess (and she's not even sure why), but there was only one thing she had left to try to deter Daphnae.  
  
"I don't trust you." Kassandra hadn't wanted to say the words, but it was the only way she could defend keeping her secrets. "I just don't trust you anymore."  
  
It was clear from how Daphnae looked that she hadn't been expecting that answer. She looked hurt, _really_ hurt and Kassandra felt horrid immediately.  
  
"You don't trust me?"  
  
It was said so soft, so broken that she almost didn't hear her.  
  
"I mean, not really." Kassandra backtracks a bit, realizing she has overdone it. "There's just too much going on for me to believe your as genuine as you're trying to be."  
  
"Going on?" Daphnae asks confused. "What do you even mean?"  
  
"Don't play dumb with me, it doesn't suit you."  
  
"I'll play dumb as long as you play stupid. Don't think I can't see what you're trying to do."  
  
"Me?!" Kassandra says taken aback by the shift of blame. "How have I done anything?"  
  
"You're punishing me for what happened with us! You show up out of nowhere with your new... _whatever_ she is and you try to spin me a tale so convoluted that I'd just blindly agree to help you out of guilt."  
  
"I'm not making this up and I think you know this. You know _everything_ that happens here so don't try to pretend you don't see it."  
  
"See what?!" Daphnae's arms toss up in frustration. "What is this big secret I seem to be a part of? Enlighten me."  
  
"The cult!" Kassandra snaps in frustration, accidentally revealing the truth of all this distrust. "You know something that you're not telling me and I cannot imagine why. I have done _nothing_ but defend you to Kyra since we got here and all you've shown me is that you're a liar and a fraud!"  
  
"Wait, wait a moment now. Are you-... Are you accusing me of being in this cult?"  
  
"You might as well be!" Kassandra snaps. The floodgates holding back the compiled evidence giving way to the onslaught of her suspicions. "The Daphnae I knew would _never_ have made such a deal. So what was it? What did they offer you to do this?"  
  
"You don't get to speak to me like that. I have done _nothing_ to you to make you take this tone with me. Do you even hear yourself?" Daphnae asks as she takes an aggressive step forward. "I have fed you, sheltered you, and embraced you against _everything_ I've stood for and this is how you repay my generosity?"  
  
"Don't pretend this isn't a benefit of you to have me here so you can tell them _exactly_ how I am."  
  
"A benefit? How are _you_ a benefit? You've done nothing but cause me hurt since that first night. I've wanted nothing more for many nights than for you to walk out of my life and never come back!"  
  
"Just admit it!" Kassandra challenges as she matches Daphnae's step. "Admit that you're with them and I'll leave. I'll go and you'll never see me again."  
  
"This is absurd!" Daphnae looks at her like she's grown two heads, puzzlement and bewilderment take hold of her features.  
  
"Stop avoiding the question!" Kassandra presses. "Tell me what you've done."  
  
"You have no idea what you're doing, Kassandra!" Daphnae berates. "Do you think you can make it on your own like this? You can barely stand!"  
  
"Answer my fucking question!" Kassandra grits through her teeth, the tension surrounding them flaring. "Are you or aren't you?"  
  
Daphnae's silence is anything but to Kassandra. How could she? After _everything_ they had been through? For her to do this? It was a new kind of betrayal.  
  
"I can't believe this..." Daphnae dismisses as she takes a step back. "You just won't understand. It isn't what you think."  
  
"It seems pretty clear cut to me, Daphe. You're working for the only thing I hate in this world, but I just don't get _why_ you would do this. How did you know I'd even be here?"  
  
"I had no idea you were here until you showed up to get Kyra, I promise."  
  
"Oh, you _promise_." Kassandra rolls her eyes at the hypocrisy. "Right. Of course."  
  
"I mean it, Kassandra. I never knew you would be here."  
  
"Then why even agree to help them?" Kassandra was growing agitated by Daphnae's lack of transparency. "What in the fuck were you thinking?"  
  
"I didn't have a choice!" Daphnae chokes out as a sob catches in her throat. "They had my people as captives and I _saw_ what they were doing to them."  
  
"I could've helped you!"  
  
"You could barely stand upright!" Daphnae motions the length of Kassandra's body. "You couldn't have fought if your life depended on it."  
  
"I killed _all_ those cultists up at those ruins without breaking a sweat." Kassandra recalls as the memory flashes before her. "I could've help you save them."  
  
"You think you're indestructible, but you're just as human as I. You're not a god, Eagle Bearer."  
  
"There's much that you don't know, nor will you." Any secret she may have shared with Daphnae was dead and buried now. All this trust... broken. "That gives you no right to betray me like this... _again_.  
  
"I didn't have a choice."  
  
"We _always_ have a choice." Kyra's words earlier come back to her. "And you chose your people over me, twice. Were you-, were you even going to tell me?"  
  
"No. I couldn't lose what negotiation I had."  
  
"Which was what exactly? What did you promise them?"  
  
"You. I promised them you." Daphnae at least had the shame to look guilty over her throwing Kassandra to the fire once again. "That party that went south you were told of? That wasn't true. They had been captured and they were being tortured everyday I didn't hand over our village."  
  
A moment of clarity finally descends upon Kassandra. "So you offered me as a trade. You would give me to them in exchange for their lives."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"So they didn't know I was here until you told them?"  
  
"Correct. They seemed surprised at this news and didn't believe me at first, but after a week they changed their mind and wanted to make a deal."  
  
"When?"  
  
"In three days."  
  
" _Three?_ Fuck, Daphe..."  
  
"For what it's worth, I'm sorry."  
  
"Sorry? You're sorry?" Kassandra repeats in sheer disbelief. "Sorry doesn't cut it now. You don't get to say you're fucking sorry when you do something so despicable. You can take your apology and shove it."  
  
She needs to get away from Daphnae before she snaps her neck. It would be a deserved justice for what she's done, but she wouldn't... she couldn't. Deep down she wanted to still see the woman she once knew and, as stupid as it may be, she still wanted to believe she's in there. But this? The more she heard, the more she had to accept that this all was unforgivable. Maybe she was making a huge mistake by letting her live, but she would face the consequences if they came later. She wouldn't stop to her level, she just wouldn't. The will for her to fight back was strong, but the deception she's feeling is stronger. The sharp edge to her words begin to feel dulled and the fury she had found herself in only a moment before had passed into a bitter acceptance. The woman she thought she knew had turned into the coldest of strangers.  
  
"You know," Kassandra begins after a moment of silence, "I would've made the trade had you asked." She looks to Daphnae in utter disappointment of their situation, knowing it never had to be like that. "I would've given myself to them for your people. I just want you to know that."  
  
"Why?" Daphnae asks her in question. "You don't owe these people anything, they're not your responsibility. Why would you have agreed?"  
  
"I would've done it for _you_ , Daphe." Kassandra shares truthfully. "That's all the reason I would've needed."  
  
"What can I do to fix this?" Daphnae pleads with tears streaming down her cheeks, her hand reaching to clasp Kassandra's. "How can I make this right?"  
  
"You cannot fix this." Kassandra answers coldly. "You will live with that for as long as you live. I want you to feel the shame of what you've done for an eternity and then, and only then, would I ever consider forgiving you."  
  
"I didn't mean to hurt you, but I know I did."  
  
"You think?" Kassandra sarcastically spits back. "Did it not even cross your mind to talk to me about this?"  
  
"I couldn't risk you running away and ruining it. I needed you unaware of what was happening so I could see this through."  
  
"You were going to let them ambush me?!"  
  
"You won't like the answer I give so I'm not going to bother."  
  
"Unbelievable..."  
  
Kassandra is overwhelmed by the onslaught of this vindictive tirade. Each time she felt Daphnae couldn't sink any lower, she gets a reality check. She really was going to feed her to the wolves without so much as a warning. And to think that Kyra would've been dragged into this too? They'd have taken them by surprise and she couldn't guarantee Kyra's safety anymore, not like this. It would've been a one sided fight (as much as she hated to admit it) and the odds were not in their favor. And for what? Chances are her people are already dead and Daphnae giving her up only gave them dessert to their main course.  
  
With this news though, it raised another large question that, if was true, would change her mercy.  
  
"Are you why I can't get better?" Kassandra looks to her with eyes blazing. "Are you doing something to me?"  
  
"What do you mean?" Daphnae questions quizzically. "You're not going to be better now as your injuries will take time. You should know this better than anyone with what you do for a living."  
  
Either she's opting to stop being a fountain of truth all of a sudden or she didn't know why she was _still_ so sick. Of course she wouldn't know about her regenerative abilities, but it also was sounding like she genuinely didn't have a clue to what she was talking about.  
  
"I'm sick, Daphe, very sick." Kassandra confesses in hopes that this steers her in the right direction. "I lied to you about taking a run, I've done nothing even close to physical activity in at least a week, but I'm still sick. I wake up better, but after I get my treatment from the healer, I get worse. This has been happening for little while now, but it has gotten worse these past couple days."  
  
"Healer?" Daphnae asks puzzled. "Why would she be giving you anything? She's not told me about this."  
  
"Every morning I take this drink and it is disgusting, but she said it was by your order that I drink this because it would make me better, but it isn't working. I just feel worse."  
  
"Kassandra, I've given no such request. If she's giving you something to drink, it isn't because of me. I don't know why she would say that."  
  
"I swear if you're lying to me-."  
  
"I'm not! I swear it." Daphnae asserts. "If I told you about the trade, why would I not tell you about this too? I genuinely don't know what she's giving you."  
  
"If I find out you're lying to me," Kassandra takes the few steps Daphnae had retreated, looking her dead in the eyes, "I'm going to kill you."  
  
"I know you will." It's all Daphnae can say in return, resigned to take the outcome with some grace.  
  
"Who else knows about all of this?" Kassandra asks as she backs away, pocketing her "intimidation" for later.  
  
"Nobody." Daphnae attempts to assure. "I didn't trust anyone else with this so I kept it to myself."  
  
"What about Eliana? What does she know?"  
  
"She just knows that we're expecting company soon, but not to who or why. She doesn't ask questions, it isn't her place."  
  
Remembering a prior conversation with Eliana, Kassandra remembers the promise she made to her. "And to think I was going to help her try to win your love. You don't deserve it, just like you don't deserve her."  
  
Daphnae doesn't say anything, she just looks at her with her brows scrunched, awaiting further clarification that Kassandra is happy to provide context for.  
  
"She had asked for my help in getting you to love her like you _should_ and I agreed." Kassandra looks Daphnae over with a critical eye before delivering as low of a blow as she could. "But I'm glad I didn't because you don't deserve it and you sure as fuck don't deserve her. I don't even _like_ her and I wouldn't wish her to such a fate as to be tied to you."  
  
Daphnae remains speechless, her lips pursed in a tight line. There would be nothing for her to even say because she _knew_ Kassandra was right, about everything. The words were cruel and vicious, but it didn't mean they weren't true.  
  
Kassandra now found herself having a few decisions to make right away. Would she still (after knowing all of this) help Daphnae rescue her people? What was she going to do about this healer? Who was this branch of the cult lead by? So many questions and so little time to process them. What she needed was a plan and Kyra's advice. She needed to find her immediately as time was of the essence and what they've worked hard to build would be teetering in the balance if they didn't think of something brilliant.  
  
They had a huge hurdle headed their way, but she would be damned if they lost now. Between the two of them, there wasn't anything they couldn't do and she was going to put that faith to the test.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've also pretty much stopped intense editing so if there are mistakes, that's just how it will be 🤷🏼.


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